The Selby and Richard McRae Lobby and Public Corridor

While the Inca Empire (c. 1200–1533 CE) is perhaps the most widely recognized civilization to inhabit what is now Peru, the history of the Andean region spans more than fifteen millennia and includes cultures such as the Chavín, Moche, Nazca, Wari, Chimú, and Norte Chico (Caral).

This complex regional history resulted in a range of architectural styles and a diversity of cultural artifacts. Some of the works on display here originated from cultures thousands of years apart. These examples of pre-Inca pottery come from the private collection of Sam Olden of Yazoo City, Mississippi.

Purchased by Olden from art dealers in Lima prior to 1969, the majority of these artifacts came from elite burials. As objects meant to be taken into the afterlife or given as offerings to divine forces, they help to bridge natural and supernatural worlds. While grave looting and unauthorized excavations have historically brought many such artifacts to the international art market, a 1970 UNESCO Convention now recognizes and protects them as forms of cultural property.

­Many works in museum collections worldwide were acquired through systems rooted in colonial power, with Indigenous voices excluded from decisions about the movement and preservation of cultural heritage. MMA acknowledges these histories and remains committed to learning more about these Andean objects through ongoing research, and to thinking critically about their interpretation and care.