Overview of the Collection
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts owns 208 Pre-Columbian ceramic vessels, textiles, sculptures and metalwork objects from Meso, Central and South America. The permanent collection is especially rich in Peruvian gold jewelry and Mayan ceramics. This is the first time the collection has been on permanent display.
Donor
Mr. and Mrs. Sandford G. Etherington gave VMFA 87 ancient South American objects from 1979 until 1984. The Etherington Collection includes textiles, metalwork and ceramics. It includes objects from 11 ancient South American cultures, representing the 3,000 year period from the Chavin culture of 1500 B.C. until the Spanish Conquest of the Incan Empire after 1500 A.D.
Highlights of the Collection
Mayan Funerary Vessel
Maya (Mexico or Guatemala), Funerary Vessel, A.D. 700-800. Terracotta with polychrome pigments
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund.
This cylindrical drinking vase is a superb example of low-fired Mayan ceramics. The artist used water-based clay slip to paint over the lighter clay base to create the rich red hues of the hieroglyphs and background of the narrative scene. Although the exact purpose of this vase is still unknown, the vessel was almost certainly placed in the grave of an elite member of Mayan society to be filled with sustenance for the afterlife. The hieroglyphs along the top of the scene suggest that this particular vessel held a substance called atole, a mixture of cooked corn and water that varied in consistency from a grainy liquid to gruel.
The imagery painted on this vessel illustrates three important members of the Mayan pantheon. The first is most likely a scribe. He holds a vessel in his right hand that replicates the drinking vessel on which this scene is painted. Two figures are seated across from the scribe on a throne decorated with cosmic symbols identifying their place in the heavens. The figure directly across from the scribe is Itzamna, the supreme Mayan god, known as the paramount sky deity who invented writing. Behind Itzamna sits the Moon Goddess, identified by the crescent moon directly behind her. She is often described as the eligible young daughter of the old and wise Itzamna.
Feather Tabard
Nazca (Peru), Tabard, A.D. 400-700. Feathers on cotton. Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund.
Perhaps considered the most precious luxury item by ancient Americans, this masterpiece of Andean featherwork is one of only three Nazca tabards known to exist. The name tabard applies to this garment because it was designed to hang straight down from the bearer’s shoulders and was not tied or sewn at the sides, which allowed the feathers to hang freely and catch the light.
The feathers come from tropical Amazonian birds, but the exact species of each feather is yet to be determined. Based on other known examples of Nazca and Wari featherworks, however, the blue and yellow feathers are probably from the macaw and the coral-colored feathers from the flamingo.
The imagery on the tabard is not exactly understood, but there appears to be depicted a six-legged supernatural creature with feline fangs and claws on the front of the garment. The other forms depicted are most likely marine creatures, resembling sea animals also seen on Nazca ceramics.
Moche Jaguar
Moche style (Peru), Jaguar, 400-100 B.C. Gold with green stones. Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund.
Of all the creatures worshiped by Pre-Columbian peoples, predatory felines such as the jaguar were the most respected. Possessing great hunting skills and no natural enemies, these animals moved between different realms of nature since they could swim rivers and climb trees as well as live on land. This flexibility endowed them with symbolic and supernatural importance. Only the most powerful shamans could transform themselves into such felines.
This gold Moche jaguar is one of at least seven identical copies. Each version was produced by pressing sections of thin gold sheets into molds, then assembling the various pieces to create the final product. Pairs of holes found on the tail and lower body of the ornament suggest that it was originally sewn to a headband, shirt, or belt. The hollow jaguar also holds a pebble, which means that it was meant to rattle when worn.
Moche Bean Warrior Vessel
Moche style (Peru), Stirrup-Spouted Vessel, A.D. 500. Terracotta with polychrome slips. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Sandford G. Etherington, 82.193
Rows of lima beans and images of “bean-warriors” appear on this Moche stirrup-spout vessel. These anthropomorphic combatants carry shields and clubs and are adorned with helmets and ear spools. Lima beans were cultivated as early as 2000 B.C. in the Andes and were a common staple in ancient Peru.
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