Art and Myth in Ancient Peru: The History of the Jequetepeque Valley

Guest Curator: Cecilia Pardo Grau, Museo de Arte de Lima

This exhibition organized by the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) presented an important selection of pre-Columbian objects that span from the time of the Cupisnique Culture to the Inca conquest. The pieces exhibited were produced in the Jequetepeque Valley of Peru for over 3,000 years. This region maintained a unique character, which distinguished it from other areas along the northern coast.

At different times in its history, the Jequetepeque Valley formed part of the Mochica, Lambayeque, and Chimú states, and finally, of the Inca Empire. The societies that flourished there maintained certain autonomy with respect to these great developments. Their social organization and pottery styles thus preserved specific and differentiated cultural characteristics and represent a system of beliefs based on a universe of images and symbols that are expressed in the pieces exhibited, many of which are considered masterpieces of pre-Columbian art.