Inca: Conquests of the Andes

Inca: Conquests of the Andes
Inca: Conquests of the Andes explores the effects of the dynamic nature of state expansion and imperial conquest on Andean visual arts. The Inca Empire developed through the 15th and early 16th centuries, encompassing the central Andes of South America. Before and after the Inca Empire, political expansions by local states or foreign empires continually transformed the Andean coast and highlands. The visual arts of these periods reflect the dynamism of such cultural convergence.

The exhibition presents more than 120 works primarily drawn from the DMA’s collection, many of which are on view for the first time, along with significant loans. The Inca (Inka) and their imperial impact are framed by pre-Inca cultures, such as the Huari (Wari), and the successive early Spanish colonial period. The exhibition reflects the traditional media of Andean visual arts, from ceramic and wood to gold, silver, feather, and textile objects. They convey the richness and dynamism of over 1,000 years of Andean cultural history.