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	THE ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT esoamerican art served important religious and political functions. Rulers, considered earthly manifestations of the gods, controlled artistic forms to create a symbolic language that unified the population under their leadership. Official art was thus used to encourage social cohesion. Art emphasized the sacred role of the leader rather than the lives and daily experiences of the common people. However, folk art based on regional traditions and local needs always existed side by side with official art. The Spanish destroyed official art forms as a means to undermine the authority of conquered leaders. Folk art forms, on the other hand, have continued right down to today. Goldsmiths at work. Florentine Codex, (Med. Palat. 219, c. 361). Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, Italy, 1979. Permission for reproduction granted by Ministero Per I Beni Culturali e Ambientali.