Museo Larco in Lima, Peru
Museums often provide us with glimpses of the past that can look drastically different, depending on the culture. Museo Larco in Lima, Peru is one of those museums I could spend all day in, reading about ancient customs and letting my imagination take over, all while feeling something close to nostalgia in my chest. I chose a few pieces in Museo Larco from different rules and time periods in ancient Peru that give us an idea of what kinds of customs and beliefs the people who made and used them held during those times.
Following this link, you will see the first piece, quipus. To the left, you will see three blocks of text on the wall (the bottom left in English) that explain what it is and how it was used. Here is some information from Google that might be easier to read. It might sound like quipus were something like a code that the Incas used to record information, and perhaps we would think that it was much more complicated than recording things on paper or your phone, but it must have worked very well for the Incas to become their main system of recording information.
Can you think of another way people used to record information that has also become obsolete? What kind of civilization used it? Does learning about different technologies of the past excite you in any way?
Turning to the wall on the left of the quipus, you will see the Paracas Mantle. Here is some easy-to-read information on it. Funerary mantles like this one were used to wrap the dead together with offerings before laying them to rest in the desert. You can see that this mantle is intricately woven with repeating patterns that form a feline creature symbolizing the combination of the earthly world, the celestial world, and the underworld. The ancient Peruvians respected their dead and made a sacred ritual for both the dead and the civilization’s beliefs about life and death.
Looking at the mantle, do you think it does a good job of representing the ritual? Can you imagine it? How do you think their ritual compares to today’s common practices of laying the dead to rest?
Navigating to other rooms in the museum on Google Street View doesn’t always work properly, so click on this link to go to the next room. Of the three headdresses, the one on the left is depicted on this information page. This crown signified that its wearer was one of the most influential people in the Moche society of ancient Peru. Along the sides, you might recognize the felines, which look very similar to the ones on the funerary mantle. They tell us that the people who wore them might have been recognized for having great power in dealing with the three worlds.
Why do you think these headdresses depict human faces? What about the way the crowns are shaped? Lastly, what do you think about the power these crowns represent?
Turning to your right and going all the way down the hall, you will come across the golden ceremonial attire worn by the ruler of the Chimu Empire. On the wall directly to the right of the display is some information, but for ease of reading, click on this link. The ceremonial attire is gold to signify that the ruler is a descendant of the all-powerful Sun.
Does the ceremonial attire, or what it represents, remind you of the beliefs or customs of another country? What is the story of that country’s rulers? What about other countries that don’t have such myths? What similarities can you find between rulers with mythical ancestry and those without such legends?
So, we started off with an ancient method of recording information, then worked our way to burial rituals, which introduced the idea of three worlds in which the ancient Peruvians believed: the earthly world, the celestial world, and the underworld. Then, we saw the headgear of powerful people who influenced the three worlds. These were only four works, but they each told us about something integral to the way the ancient Peruvians worked and thought. Taking a turn about the rest of the rooms, you might be interested in learning about many more works of art that will reveal more of their story. It might be difficult navigating through the museum since the functions on Google Street View don’t always work properly, but the highlighted works along the bottom of the page are worth checking out. I hope you have fun with this. :)
