Museo de Arte Precolumbiano (MAP) - Cusco

One of my favourite museums in Cusco was the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. Click on the link to see their site. The small "exhibition" section with 5 photos of pieces from each section is the extent of their catalogue but it has some interesting cultural notes.
The collection is extensive. The well preserved collection covers a wide range of archaeological periods from around Peru from preceramic BC through to Inca works. The pieces are displayed for their aesthetic and artistic merit rather than in an anthropological format.

I have tried to label each of the pieces by period in my photo gallery.

They start with stone pieces from the formative period


And wooden pieces


Then Nasca pottery famous for polihcromatic decoration


Mochica pottery was more sculptural


While Huari pottery is more stylized


The Chancay Chimu gallery had some of my favourite pieces with depictions once again of animals and sea birds important to their culture.




The Incas were more famous for their stonework but there were some interesting pieces.


The final galleries are filled with jewelery and metalwork.