From thematic scholarly essays to immersive online features, explore the world of the ancient Americas through this rich array of digital content.
In an episode of The Artist Project, New York–based sculptor and installation artist Teresita Fernández muses on The Met's collection of Precolumbian gold.
Golden Kingdoms co-curator Joanne Pillsbury takes a look at a serpent labret acquired by The Met in 2016—an object considered to be among the finest surviving Aztec gold ornaments.
Ronda Kasl, curator in the American Wing, explores the "Crown of the Andes," a remarkable example of goldsmith work from colonial Spanish America.
"Being able to recognize a face is one of those fundamental survival skills." Curator Joanne Pillsbury reflects on an Olmec jadeite mask.
"It's a form of mask, a form of changed personality." Former Met curator Julie Jones highlights an ancient Peruvian nose ornament with spiders from the Museum's collection.
Learn about the art and culture of the ancient Americas through a selection of Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History essays—all of which are richly illustrated by works in The Met collection.
"Ancient Maya Painted Ceramics"
"Ancient Maya Sculpture"
"Aztec Stone Sculpture"
"Capac Hucha as an Inca Assemblage"
"The Mesoamerican Ballgame"
"Moche Decorated Ceramics"
"Music in the Ancient Andes"
"Olmec Art"
Read "Creation Narratives on Ancient Maya Codex-Style Ceramics in the Metropolitan Museum," an article by Assistant Curator James Doyle published in the fifty-first volume of Metropolitan Museum Journal.
Among the many offerings found at the Sacred Cenote at Chichén Itzá, Yucatan, are small gold bells, some of which came from as far away as the region that is now Panama. Hear the sound of these bells in this recording, presented here and in the Golden Kingdoms galleries courtesy of John Burkhalter and Gabriela Vargas-Cetina.
In this episode of The Getty's Art + Ideas podcast, the three curators of Golden Kingdoms walk through the exhibition's Los Angeles presentation and discuss how the study of objects made of gold, jade, shell, feathers, and other stones from the ancient Americas reveal different perspectives on value and luxury.
View a high-resolution gigapixel image of The Mass of Saint Gregory, a monumental sixteenth-century painting composed primarily of bird feathers.
Image © Musée des Jacobins, Auch (Gigapixel/Gilles Alonso)
Banner image: Pendant (detail), 1 B.C.–A.D. 700. Tolima, Colombia. Gold, 12 5/8 x 6 3/8 in. (32 x 16.2 cm). Museo de Oro, Banco de la República, Bogotá (O06061). Blog series image: Nose ornament, A.D. 525–550. Peru. Moche. Gold, H. 1 15/16 in. (5 cm). Museo de Sitio de Chan Chan, Huanchaco, Peru. Ministerio de Cultura del Perú