“From the first millennium B.C. until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, artists from the ancient Americas created small‐scale architectural models to be placed in the tombs of important individuals. These works in stone, ceramic, wood, and metal range from highly abstracted, minimalist representations of temples and houses to elaborate architectural complexes populated with figures. These miniature structures were critical components in funerary practice and beliefs about an afterlife, and they convey a rich sense of ancient ritual and as well as the daily lives of the Aztecs, the Incas, and their predecessors.” — The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Chimú maquette from Huaca de la Luna, Chimú culture, Peru, A.D. 1440–1665. Wood, cotton, and shell. H. 14–3/8 in. (36.5 cm), W. 16 in. (40.5 cm), L. 19–1/8 in. (48.5 cm). Ministerio de Cultura del Perú, Lima, Peru Museo Huacas de Moche, Trujillo. Image: Courtesy Proyecto Arqueológico Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, photograph by Edi Hirose
Chimu maquette (detail)
Architectural vessel, Moche culture, Peru, A.D. 200–600. Ceramic. H. 8 in. (21.5 cm). Museo Larco, Lima. Image: Juan Pablo Murrugarra
House effigy, Maya culture, Copan, Honduras, A.D. 550–900. Stone. 20–1/16 x 14–9/16 in. (51 x 37 cm). Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. Image: © President and Fellows of Harvard College, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Ball‐court model, Nayarit, Mexico, 200 B.C.–A.D. 500. Ceramic with slip and other pigments. L. 13 in. (33 cm). Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Proctor Stafford Collection, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch. Image: © Museum Associates / LACMA
Ball Court Model (detail)
Temple Model, Mezcala style, Mexico, 200 B.C.‐A.D. 500. Stone. H. 4 in. (12.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Arthur M. Bullowa, 1993. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
House model, Nayarit, Mexico, 100 B.C.–A.D. 200. Ceramic and pigment. H. 12 in. (30.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Joanne P. Pearson, in memory of Andrall E. Pearson, 2015. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Town model with flying figures (voladores), Nayarit, Mexico, ca. 100 B.C.–A.D. 250. Ceramic with pigment. H. 11 in. (29 cm). Yale University Art Gallery, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Olsen
Temple model, Mezcala style, Mexico, 200 B.C.‐A.D. 500. Greenstone. H. 7–1/8 in. (18 cm). Princeton University Art Museum, Bequest of John B. Elliot, Class of 1951
Temple model,Aztec culture, Mexico, A.D. 1400–1521. Ceramic. H. 7 in. (18.3 cm). Princeton University Art Museum, Promised bequest of Gillett G. Griffin. Image: Princeton University Art Museum / Art Resource, NY
Stirrup‐spout vessel, Moche culture, Peru, A.D. 550–750. Clay with slips. H. 7 in. (19.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Eugene Schaefer
Architectural vessel, Moche culture, Peru, A.D. 450–550. Ceramic. H. 9 in. (24 cm). American Museum of Natural History. Image: Courtesy American Museum of Natural History, Division of Anthropology, photograph by Denis Finnin
Architectural vessel, Lambayeque culture, Peru, A.D. 800–1300. Ceramic. L. 7 in. (17.8 cm), W. 4 in. (11.4 cm). American Museum of Natural History. Image: Courtesy American Museum of Natural History, Division of Anthropology, photograph by Denis Finnin
Temple Model, Colima, Mexico, 200 B.C.‐A.D. 200. Ceramic. H. 7–1/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, From the Collection of Nina and Gordon Bunshaft, Bequest of Nina Bunshaft, 1994. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Images courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Installation photo by Corrado Serra for Arts Summary.