MET opens exhibition on Pre-Hispanic art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York will open tomorrow an ambitious exhibition showcasing over 300 luxury items created by Pre-Hispanic cultures, including 92 from ancient civilizations which flourished in Mexico.

“ Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas ” brings together the latest archeological findings of 53 of the most important museums of 12 Latin American, European, and U.S museums, and runs from February 28 to May 28, 2018.

The exhibition sheds some light on the Inca and Aztec civilizations and those which preceded them, as well as the links between the civilizations and the place their sumptuary arts have in world history.

A total of 11 Mexican museums collaborated in lending pieces for the exhibition, which gathers majestic items made not only of metal, but also jade, feathers, and seashells – materials often considered more valuable than gold.

Joanne Pillsbury, the curator of Ancient American art, said the exhibition aims to display the technological exchanges between past civilizations. “Few exhibitions cover such a large territory and era. It starts in the south of the Andes and we follow the 'Golden Road', which ends in Mexico .”

The following is a promotional video shared by the Met: