A North American exclusive: The Incas, Treasures of Peru from November 27, 2019 to April 13, 2020
On November 27, Pointe-à-Callière will open The Incas, Treasures of Peru, giving Montréal museum-goers a taste of one of the richest legacies of craftsmanship the world has ever seen. A North American exclusive, the exhibition takes visitors on a stunning journey deep into Andean and Peruvian cultures to reveal the secrets of the Inca Empire, its power, its mysterious rituals and customs, and, above all, its remarkable artistic achievements.
Rare pieces, held in great European collections, reveal the
civilizations that influenced Inca culture in the areas of farming, pottery,
metallurgy, sculpture, and weaving. “We are fortunate to have access to
some unique pieces, including some incredibly well-preserved textiles. The
story told by these objects is fascinating. They recount the origins of one of
the largest and most tightly controlled empires the world has ever seen—one
whose artistic influence is still felt today,” explains Pointe-à-Callière’s
executive director, Francine Lelièvre.
With nearly 300 pieces of metalwork, ceramic, ritual objects,
magnificent works made from feathers, and breathtaking textiles on display,
visitors will learn how the civilizations of the Peruvian Andes developed their
artistic, economic, political, and social knowledge and knowhow. The engaging
museography highlights the unique beauty of Andean plants and wildlife and of
its costa, sierra, and selva to create a majestic journey
through time into the heart of Peru.
Influential pre-Columbian civilizations
The first part of the exhibition focuses on the legacy of six
important pre-Columbian civilizations and their influences on the Inca Empire.
Visitors will encounter funerary sites built by the Paracas and their
practice of cranial deformation. Also featured are the spectacular geoglyphs
known as the Nazca lines—huge drawings up to 45 m long traced on the
ground—along with this society’s fine textiles and ceramics. Significant
archeological finds have shown that the Moche had an extremely
hierarchical society and practiced human sacrifice. The Wari
civilization endured from 650 to 1000; it was the region’s first expansionist
empire and served as the military, political, societal, and ideological model
for the Incas. The Chimù, unrivalled goldsmiths, controlled one of the
largest cities in the world in the 15th century, and built a complex system of
irrigation canals to push back the desert. And the Chancay were known
for their skill in textile art and mastery of colours.
An enormous yet fragile empire
In part two of the exhibition, visitors enter a majestic world of
feathers, with taxidermied birds evoking the world of the gods and the feather
art created by the peoples of Peru. They embark on a processional path into the
Inca Empire, which had one of the most sophisticated political and
administrative structures of the premodern world. There, they will encounter
the Sapa Inca—the intermediary between humans and the supernatural who wielded
absolute power over the Incas. His clothing was unique, and he presided over
ceremonies involving human sacrifice, among many other offerings. Visitors will
learn about the Incas’ many rituals, including how they interacted with mummies
to request their counsel.
The Incas’ architectural prowess is also on display. Through
reconstructions, audiovisual presentations, large-format photographs, and
projections, visitors explore Choquequirao, a religious centre with an
impressive mural mosaic of llamas and, of course, the famous Machu Picchu, one
of the most astonishing architectural feats of an empire at its peak. The
exhibition also highlights the Incas’ technical skills, with numerous examples
of weaving tools, slings, footwear, and a quipu, a mnemonic
record-keeping tool made from coloured strings that was also used to keep
populations under control.
Along with textiles, ceramics, and various offerings, expressions
of Inca art included magnificent aryballos, a new form of ceramic vessel
adorned with numerous and sometimes highly developed motifs. Symbolic of the
“generosity of the empire,” they were used to transport corn beer, a
very popular beverage among the Incas.
The Spanish conquest that precipitated the fall of the Inca Empire
would not conquer the Inca spirit or artistic traditions. The exhibition shows
that even today, life in some communities is structured around the principles
of reciprocity, beliefs and rituals related to the land and its fertility, and
the importance of “Pacha Mama” or mother Earth.
The last part of the exhibition is dedicated to 19th- and 20th-century weaving practices, which are still inspired by Inca know-how. It features magnificent modern textiles and offers visitors a chance to try their hand at weaving by contributing to a virtual textile.
A symbol of power
Textiles, a major Andean art form and source of inspiration for
all other art forms, serves as the exhibition’s unifying thread. Museum-goers
will discover the importance of textiles, considered more precious than gold or
silver by the Incas and pre-Incan societies. Symbols of power and identity,
they were essential in communicating one’s social position or membership in a
political or religious group. Prisoners were stripped of clothing to humiliate
them and remove their social identity. Decorations made from textile or
feathers were used as offerings to the gods and in diplomatic transactions.
The deceased were wrapped in multiple layers of textile for their
journey to the afterlife, with the number of layers increasing according to
one’s societal status. Indeed, almost all of the exceptional textiles on
display in the exhibition, some dating back over 2,000 years, come from tombs.
They were preserved for hundreds of years thanks to the aridity of the coastal
desert where they were found.
The exhibition The Incas, Treasures of Peru at Pointe-à-Callière is a unique opportunity to experience the immense cultural legacy left by the Incas.
Family Activities
The Holidays under the Peruvian sun
January 2 to 5, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Pointe-à-Callière is organizing several family activities that showcase various
facets of Incan and Peruvian culture. On the program: an introduction to
weaving, a workshop on Inca divinities, statuette making, and much more. Our
reading and movie corner yound and old alike will be able to snuggle up with
some comic books or enjoy the entire first season of the series The Mysterious
Cities of Gold! Children are provided with an activity booklet to make their
tour of the exhibition even more fun. These activities—included in the price of
admission to the Museum—take place in turn over the course of one week.
Enjoy March Break at Pointe-à-Callière
From February 29 to March 7, 2020
Take part in our free outdoor activities and discover the rich culture, art,
and history of the Andean region. Indoors, creative workshops and other
activities give the whole family a chance to explore the world surrounding the
exhibition The Incas, Treasures of Peru (indoor activities included with
the purchase of an admission ticket). On the program: weaving, iconography,
traditional musical instruments, hot chocolate, and much more!
Free lectures at Pointe-à-Callière
The Incas: from their origins to the Spanish Conquest
By Victor Pimentel, archaeologist specialized in the study of
Andean civilizations
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Warps and wefts: About textiles and weavers from the Inca Empire
By France-Éliane Dumais, textile restorer at the Centre de
conservation du Québec
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Beyond the Nazca Lines
By Hendrik Van Gijseghem, archaeologist at Pointe-à-Callière
Saturday, February 8, 2020
At 165, place D’Youville
At 1 p.m. in English and at 3 p.m. in French
Reservation online is mandatory, for details: pacmusee.qc.ca/calendrier
Inca-themed products in the museum shop
During the exhibition, Peru will be featured at the museum shop,
which will be offering many alpaca-wool items, Christmas decorations made by
Peruvian artisans, books on Inca culture, and Peruvian-style pottery and jewelry.
