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manuscripts	daily life	instructions	martyr	battle	map	tapestry
vessel	installation

What we know about the life and culture of the ancient Fishhead civilization is only what we can perceive through the relics and artifacts they have left behind. Their beliefs, attitudes and traditions are encapsulated in these pieces. We take from them an idea of what their lives were like, the struggles they fought, and how they came to regard one another.

The Fishhead world consists of two Fishhead clans. The blue Fishheads are the Kampfses and the orange Fishheads are the Cabezas. Historically speaking, they are strongly connected through religion and way of life. But it appears as though there was an incident in their early history that drove the two sects apart. Although the reason for the split is not explicit, it appears to be the result of childish jealousy. The incident drove the two sects into a much deeper and stronger struggle to determine their own righteousness against one another. With each proceeding generation, the need to separate themselves from one another grew stronger, while the reasoning given for their struggle seems to have slowly faded into their past behind a guise of egregious misunderstanding.

The artifacts, from what we can gather as a chronological order of their creation, trace a subjective two-sided narrative of their history. The incompleteness of the narrative leaves many questions as to how events actually transpired. All we can gather from the works they left behind are their attitudes, ways of life, and how they affect one another.

Cabezas

The Cabezas, or the Orange Fishheads, appear to us as very dominating and physically superior. Their aggressive agenda is depicted in the glorified slaughter painting Expulsion of the Kampfses. The ferocity that is illustrated in the piece is combined with the luscious color palette and unrestricted details to show the viewer the pride they took in the achievement. Ironically, all other works the Cabezas created describe a wholesome and nostalgic representation of their daily lives and activities. They appear provincial and innocent. One cannot help but admire the strong sense of family and simple virtues.

Of special note, the Book of Moral Instruction for Young Fishheads simultaneously describes the ideals that adhere to and their negative representation of the Kampfses. The depiction of the Kampfses as malicious creatures adds confusion about which group was being persecuted by the other.

Kampfses

The Blue Fishheads, or Kampfses as they are referred, appear more often as being subjected to the dominance of the seemingly more aggressive Cabezas. Their relics often display a sense of suffering or injustice. Their imagery is striking and is repetitive. It is seen throughout all the relics they have left behind, reinforcing the power of the images over and over. The most prevalent attitude we obtain from their artifacts is a sense of their passiveness and their strife.

They illustrate their history with images of martyrdom, subjugation, and perseverance. Their artifacts transform from the stark horrors of their situation to glorious trophies of their triumphs.