The Pinacotheque de Paris presents The Incas Gold : Origins and mysteries on display to 06 February 2011.
The Incas dominated the Andes for a century (1400-1553). When they settled in the Cuzco région in the 13th or 14th centuries, ten civilizations had already lived there. The Incas were therefore the inheritors of sophisticated traditions, elaborated over four thousand years.
Regarded as being the sun’s « sweat », the suprême being in the animist Inca panthéon, gold was strongly linked to religious rituals. Since the Inca emperor was the living embodiment of the sun, gold was equally prominent in the représentation of power. It was a means of sociak différentiation for the élite and an indispensable part of the deceased’s funeral trousseau. Gold was used in a wide range of objects, all of them présent in the exhibition : crowns, diadems, earrings, nose ornements, pins, ritual cups, pectoral ornaments, necklaces, figurines or onrments. Objects made from silver, the métal linked to the moon goddess, were also very prévalent in the Andes and High quality Works are also shown.
This exhibition has been carried out in conjunction with Artematica and the Fondazione Brescia Museum.
Exhibition in partnership with :
Fnac, France Info, LCI, Média Transports, Paris Match
www.pinacotheque.com