The Spirit of Ancient Peru

The ancient cultures of Peru - Chavin, Cupisnique, Salinar, Viru, Moche, paracas, Nasca, Lambayeque, Hurai, Chimu and Inca - produced ceramics, textiles, metalwork and sculpture. Published to coincide with an exhibition organized by the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, this volume presents over 160 items from Lima's Larco Collection, each accompanied by explanatory text. The objects include examples of intricate gold and silver jewellery, head-dresses and ceremonial vessels which show how the working of precious metals reached its zenith in ancient Peru. Ceramics from Moche, Chimu and other cultures portray scenes of shamanism, ritual drama, mythology and warfare. Objects range from a copper mask portraying a fanged deity to mosaic earplugs inlaid with precious shell and stone. Accompanying the illustrations are essays from experts in the field of Peruvian art, including Kathleen Berrin, Elizabeth P. Benson and Richard L. Burger.