Finding 57: Unpacking Ceramics for Mastercraftsmen of Ancient Peru, 1968

April 8, 2011

This photograph documents the careful unpacking of artworks to be displayed in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum's 1968 exhibition, Mastercraftsmen of Ancient Peru. Conceived and initiated by Thomas Messer, Mastercraftsmen of Ancient Peru was guest-curated by Dr. Alan Sawyer, Director of the Textile Museum in Washington D.C. and an authority on Peruvian art. Over the course of several years, Dr. Sawyer made five trips to Peru in order to select works for the exhibition, and of the 700 pieces that went on view, most had never before been shown outside their country of origin. Spanning the period of 1500 BCE to 1500 CE, these pieces included textiles, ceramics, stone carving, and jewelry, as well as gold, silver, wood, and bone objects.

-Amanda Brown, Archives Assistant