Tag Archives: Larco Musuem

Museo Larco Gold

Advanced, well-armed Spain wanted gold.  Primative South and Central American indigenous people had gold.  And for the next couple of hundred years following Columbus this dynamic drove the conflict between these two groups resulting in the decimation of the latter.

Museo Larco Gold

Lustrous, luxurious, glistening, gleaming gold.  Gobs and gobs of glorious gold.  Enough gold to drive an empire.  And that’s just in this museum.

Museo Larco Gold

No wonder Portugal wanted in on the action, but all they got was Brazil.  And parts of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, some of the Maluku Islands, the Azores, Cape Verde, Madeira, and the non-Trump casino properties in Macau (you know, casinos that actually make money).

Museo Larco Gold

Not all that is photo-worthy resides inside the museum.  Make sure to tour the grounds for some great photo opportunities.

Outside the Museo Larco restaurant

Museo Larco Grounds

Museo Larco Grounds

Museo Larco Grounds

Museo Larco Grounds

There’s also a very delectable restaurant located on the grounds.  Go there for a taste of Peruvian food and a comfortable, outdoor dining experience.

The Museo Larco restaurant

Would you believe that the ancient Peruvians were a bit on the risqué and bawdy side?  Located inside a separate gallery at Museo Larco is an exhibit of Peruvian erotica dating back thousands of years.

Museo Larco Erotic Pottery Collection

I promised on Monday a very brief look at what’s inside this particular gallery.  After scanning some of my shots you’ll find one of the less graphic images posted below.  On the left is what appears to be some sort of smoking implement, perhaps a pipe.  To the right is a selfless and caring individual obviously performing the Heimlich Maneuver on a poor choking victim.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Museo Larco Erotic Pottery Collection

Finally, as you leave the museum you’ll find the gift shop where you can purchase ancient Peruvian artifacts.  Well, not really.  They’re museum-quality reproductions.

Museo Larco Gift Shop

Stirrup-Spout Vessel

There is a lot of pre-Columbian pottery on display in Lima’s Museo Larco.  Above is a stirrup-spout vessel, a design that originated some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago in South America.

Stirrup-Spout Vessel

These main vessels were pour-cast in a mold, and the stirrup-shaped spouts were handcrafted and attached to the main vessels.  The exteriors were then decoratively finished.

Stirrup-Spout Vessel

Not all ancient Peruvian pottery on display at Museo Larco is functional.  Some examples are entirely decorative.

Museo Larco pottery

Museo Larco pottery

There’s even an example of ancient Peruvian Corningware®:

Ancient Corningware® — just kidding

Actually, that above image is of a display stand in the museum.  In addition to pottery there are also examples of tapestry and decorative fish:

Museo Larco tapestry

Fish lures — Just kidding

Museo Larco is home to gold artifacts as well:

Museo Larco gold

Then there’s this stunning display of ancient Peruvian brain surgery:

Indications of brain surgery — Not kidding

Yes, these holes were made into the skulls of living people, people who continued to live well afterward as evidenced by the regeneration of bone material at the sites of the removals.

On Wednesday we’ll continue our tour of Museo Larco with images of the grounds, more gold artifacts, and even a very brief look at the erotic pottery collection.  Did that last one get your attention?  Until then, here’s one last pottery image for today:

Museo Larco pottery