Today we will focus on the rich culture of pre-Columbian America. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses an impressive collection of artifacts and works of art created by the inhabitants of North, Central and South America for hundreds and thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists. The acquisition of ancient American objects began in the 19th century, but after the formation of the Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas in the 1960s, interest in this topic increased significantly.
The exposition is built according to the geographical principle. The entire collection includes about 7 thousand items, the most ancient artifacts were made in the III millennium BC. The civilizations of Ancient America reached heights in the representation of the plant and animal world, deities through art. In the first millennium BC, the Olmecs, whose references can be found in the Aztec historical chronicles, created their works of jade and baked clay. The exhibits related to the Aztec civilization are mainly stone sculptures. A collection of artefacts found in the Caribbean region provides an insight into the religious worldview of the locals. In particular, in one of the halls of the museum you can see a stand with figures of ancient deities created in the first thousand BC.
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org
Photo © www.metmuseum.org