The Central Andean and Amazonian culture areas are the focus
of this exhibition which emphasizes their close relationship.
The Central Andean area - the core of the Inca empire - is famous for its archaeological discoveries yielding an abundance of ceramics and textiles, as well as rich golden objects. Royal tombs of the Mochica culture (2nd - 7th century A.D.) like the one of the "Lord of Sip�n" have been compared to the burial of Tutankhamen. The Linden-Museum houses the partial contents of such a royal tomb, from the Pyramid of the Moon, close to the modern town of Trujillo, Peru. Two golden masks and a golden fox head are spectacular. The textiles of pre-Columbian Peru are well preserved because of the extremely dry climate of the Central Andean coast. This sumptuous clothing is made of alpaca yarn and was worn by members of the upper class. Human hair, mostly used for headgear or wigs, was seen as a symbol of steady growth and renewal.
Many native Amazonian groups provided the royal classes of the Andean highlands and the Pacific coast with luxury goods such as the feathers of tropical birds. They also possessed a rich material culture of their own. The Tukano, who live in the border area between Colombia and Brazil, produce the most beautiful wicker baskets of Amazonia. The meandering patterns are a stylistic depiction of the mythical Anaconda, the great serpent said to have given life to most of the Tukano villages. The native groups living in the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador and Peru, close to the Andean highlands, are, in a cultural sense, closely related to the highlands. Rich headgear, that - as in ancient Peru - is combined with human hair, is a good example.
Curator: Dr. Doris Kurella
The Central Andean area - the core of the Inca empire - is famous for its archaeological discoveries yielding an abundance of ceramics and textiles, as well as rich golden objects. Royal tombs of the Mochica culture (2nd - 7th century A.D.) like the one of the "Lord of Sip�n" have been compared to the burial of Tutankhamen. The Linden-Museum houses the partial contents of such a royal tomb, from the Pyramid of the Moon, close to the modern town of Trujillo, Peru. Two golden masks and a golden fox head are spectacular. The textiles of pre-Columbian Peru are well preserved because of the extremely dry climate of the Central Andean coast. This sumptuous clothing is made of alpaca yarn and was worn by members of the upper class. Human hair, mostly used for headgear or wigs, was seen as a symbol of steady growth and renewal.
Many native Amazonian groups provided the royal classes of the Andean highlands and the Pacific coast with luxury goods such as the feathers of tropical birds. They also possessed a rich material culture of their own. The Tukano, who live in the border area between Colombia and Brazil, produce the most beautiful wicker baskets of Amazonia. The meandering patterns are a stylistic depiction of the mythical Anaconda, the great serpent said to have given life to most of the Tukano villages. The native groups living in the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador and Peru, close to the Andean highlands, are, in a cultural sense, closely related to the highlands. Rich headgear, that - as in ancient Peru - is combined with human hair, is a good example.
Curator: Dr. Doris Kurella
highlights of the exhibition >>