Mapuches expressed their art through weaving and clothing. Machi attire chile seco important in ceremonies.
Ceramics were the greatest artistic contribution of the northern peoples. These examples of Diaguita ceramics show this people’s fascination with geometric figures. Prehistoric painting in Chile, also called pre-Columbian Chilean painting, refers to any type of painting or painting technique used to represent objects or people during the period before the Spanish conquest. Developed prior to the existence of written sources, study of this period is based on the material remains and vestiges of the cultures that developed. The beginning of pre-Columbian art in Chile coincided with the appearance of indigenous cultures in the territory, and ended around the start of the Spanish conquest of Chile around 1500AD. After this period, indigenous art was virtually eliminated by the Catholic community as part of the process of converting native people.
Prehistoric art is closely related to the cave paintings and petroglyphs developed during the prehispanic period, especially in the extreme North of Chile. The use of art in this time could be aesthetic, practical, ritual or religious, depending on the culture and the resources available. Animal figures and symbols abound but images of people did not appear unless they were important or had some magical significance for the tribe. Petroglyphs south of Atacama, Chile, near to the facilities of La Silla Observatory, Atacama Region, northern Chile. The cultural references varied depending on the area where the people lived.
