State Capitol Bronze

[AyatollahGondola]

I need some input here,

While I was walking around the state capitol during my Remember Agent Rosas event, I studies the three bronze disks embedded near the west steps. Take a look at the photos and see if you find something out of place as I did:

[AyatollahGondola]

[AyatollahGondola]

[AyatollahGondola]

[kjl]

Wow, that is really interesting. Looks more like something that would be in Mexico City than in Sac. Do you know when they were installed?

[AyatollahGondola]

That disk was cast in 2001

[AyatollahGondola]

Iinteresting link to this:

Part I: Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Pro-life Movement by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life

http://www.examiner.com/x-10993-Silicon-Valley-Young-Catholic-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Our-Lady-of-Guadalupe-and-the-Prolife-Movement-by-Fr-Frank-Pavone-Priests-for-Life-part-I

http://www.examiner.com/x-10993-Silicon-Valley-Young-Catholic-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Part-II-Our-Lady-of-Guadalupe-and-the-Prolife-Movement-by-Fr-Frank-Pavone-Priests-for-Life

Gotta wonder if the Right To Choose people have even noticed this disc on the grounds of the capitol. I'll bet they haven't

[ilbegone]

The disk seems to me to be a revisionist Chicano attempt to represent a muddled history which mixes Spanish exploration and Spanish Californio presence with Mexican Mestizo culture as an unbroken line through to today.

The Mexican American war began in 1846. 1822 was the year Alta California, from first exploration in 1769 a Spanish colony, nominally became a Mexican province. Mexico achieved independence in 1821.

There seems to be a reference to farm workers in the various crops (cross reference the plan of Aztlan, those planting and watering the seeds own the land) as well as Latino struggle and empowerment shown with the UFW flag and the ballot box.

I believe that the Eagle Cactus representation shows a Mexican origin with perhaps a return to "Aztlan", although that is speculation.

The original representation in Aztec codexes from which was originally a Criollo concept of national symbolism might actually be that of an eagle feasting on human hearts, with the snake like curlicue having another meaning. I don't remember what the curlicue might have meant. I'll have to look into it again, but the legend of the eagle and the cactus might be the product of imaginative criollo interpretation.

The inclusion of Santa Muerte baffles me, I don't know enough about that angle. Except for a vague idea that Mexican Drug Cartel members who may have been excommunicated from the church have changed devotion from Guadalupe to Santa Muerte.

The panels separately show period Spanish, Californio Ranchero, and wealthy Mexican Hacendado costume. I find it significant that none of the panels positively represents California Indians, although one panel shows an individual with Indian features wearing feathers and playing a European stringed instrument

Not one panel shows a representation of a common, ragged, poverty stricken Mexican peon of the period.

Unwittingly, the disk declares that all those people came from elsewhere, showing ideas, crops, explorers, implements and other concepts which were foreign to California prior to 1769.

[AyatollahGondola]

there's a whole separate disc for the native indians. Although there's nothing showing their ballot or flags

[ilbegone]

The pinata has 6 cones, should have 7. One for every deadly sin.

All the explorers and church figures have distinctly European faces. The others seem to have Mestizo features, they should be European also.

Most people in these situations would have been either white or relatively "whiter" in appearance.

I believe the culicue referenced above may have had something to do with speech.

[ilbegone]

I'm not sure what the building with the winged figures might represent.

It vaguely reminds me of the Old Testament Cherabim with wings spread over the Ark of the Covenant, but I don't know how that would apply here.

[AyatollahGondola]

I'm not sure what the building with the winged figures might represent.

It vaguely reminds me of the Old Testament Cherabim with wings spread over the Ark of the Covenant, but I don't know how that would apply here.

I believe that's the city of angels....

[ilbegone]

There might be a suggestion of "City of Angels" but this is in Sacramento, and the Spanish capitol in Alta California was in Monterrey. I think it was moved temporarily to southern California at one time

There was also a rivalry between northern and southern Californios in spite of the fact that they were nearly all related in some fashion.

I believe I remember something about someone setting himself up as the Governor in Southern California while the official Governor was in in Northern California. They met somewhere in between with "Armies" of something like fifty or a hundred men to each side. They fired out of range of each other, had a talk, and it was all forgotten about.

[ilbegone]

The type of cattle depicted in the panel don't seem to fit into the time period.

The ships don't seem to be right either.

[ilbegone]

Guadalupe would fit in with all represented, whether it was Guadalupe of Extramadura in Spain or Guadalupe of Tepayac near Mexico City.