The Spirit of Ancient Peru: Treasures from the Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Herrera

From Library Journal
The superabundance of Middle Andean pre-Columbian treasures reposing in the Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Herrera, Lima, are without quantitative or qualitative equal. This handsomely illustrated catalog of an exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco is an exquisite sampling of some 160 objects from that stellar collection. Although examples from all aspects of the artistic tradition of ancient Peru are reflected in this exhibition, the collector's preference for the northern coastal ceramics of the Moche culture is evident. Among the several prefatory essays is a succinct overview of the historical, environmental, and ideological context in which these artistic traditions flourished. The comprehensively illustrated catalog contains fully elaborated discussions of the objects' forms, techniques, iconography, and probable provenances. Although the book is wanting in stylistic analysis, the convincing elucidation of context and content make for a substantial and significant contribution to general collections.?Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New YorkCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
The ancient cultures of Peru--Chavin, Cupisnique, Salinar, Viru, Moche, Paracas, Nazca, Lambayeque, Huari, Chimu, and Inca--produced ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and sculpture that are unparalleled in the history of world art, and unsurpassed in their beauty. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, this book presents more than 160 masterpieces from Lima's famed Larco Collection, the world's largest private collection of pre-Hispanic Peruvian art. While individual works from the Larco Collection have occasionally been exhibited in the United States or Europe, the vast majority have never before been seen outside of Peru. The book includes works from all of ancient Peru's major cultures--pieces that have long been considered icons of Peruvian art. Spectacular ceramics from Moche and Chimu portray scenes of shamanism, ritual drama, mythology, and warfare. The working of precious metals reached its zenith in ancient Peru, and stunning gold and silver jewelry, headdresses, and ceremonial vessels are featured. A fearsome copper mask of a fanged deity, exquisite mosaic ear plugs with inlays of precious shell and stone, an intricate Lambayeque textile featuring elaborate beings--these are just a few of the masterworks that are illustrated and described. Published in association with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, The Spirit of Ancient Peru includes scholarly essays by Kathleen Berrin, Elizabeth P. Benson, Richard L. Burger, Christopher B. Donnan, Clifford Evans, Esther Pasztory, and Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canceco.


Card catalog description
This book includes works from all of ancient Peru's major cultures - pieces that have long been considered icons of Peruvian art. Spectacular ceramics from Moche, Chimu, and other cultures portray scenes of ritual drama, shamanism, mythology, and warfare. The working of precious metals reached its zenith in ancient Peru, and stunning gold and silver jewelry, headdresses, and ceremonial vessels are featured. A fearsome copper mask of a fanged deity, exquisite mosaic earplugs with inlays of precious shell and stone, an intricate Lambayeque textile featuring elaborate beings - these are just a few of the masterworks that are illustrated and described.


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The superabundance of Middle Andean pre-Columbian treasures reposing in the Museo Arqueolgico Rafael Larco Herrera, Lima, are without quantitative or qualitative equal. This handsomely illustrated catalog of an exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco is an exquisite sampling of some 160 objects from that stellar collection. Although examples from all aspects of the artistic tradition of ancient Peru are reflected in this exhibition, the collector's preference for the northern coastal ceramics of the Moche culture is evident. Among the several prefatory essays is a succinct overview of the historical, environmental, and ideological context in which these artistic traditions flourished. The comprehensively illustrated catalog contains fully elaborated discussions of the objects' forms, techniques, iconography, and probable provenances. Although the book is wanting in stylistic analysis, the convincing elucidation of context and content make for a substantial and significant contribution to general collections.Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York


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