Gorge Bridge Zia Symbol
by Britt Runyon
Title
Gorge Bridge Zia Symbol
Artist
Britt Runyon
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
One of America's highest and most famous bridges, the route 64 crossing of the Rio Grande near Taos, New Mexico was completed in 1965. A well proportioned cantilever truss with an attractive, curvilinear profile, the bridge received the American Institute of Steel Construction's award for the Most Beautiful Long Span Steel Bridge of 1966. In 1997 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States.
The Zia symbol, a circle with groups of rays pointing in four directions, is painted on ceremonial vases, appears all around the state and is featured on the New Mexico state flag. Four is a sacred number of the Zia Pueblo, and can be found repeated in the points radiating from the circle. The number four is embodied in:
The compass (north, south, east, and west)
The seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn and winter)
The periods of each day (morning, noon, evening and night)
The stages of life (childhood, youth, middle years and elderhood)
The sacred aspects one must develop (a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the well-being of others)
Uploaded
January 4th, 2015
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