Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru

In the Andean regions of ancient South America, the brilliantly colored feathers of Amazonian birds were a luxury that was much treasured and long used. From the third millennium B.C. onward, feathers served various ceremonial and secular purposes throughout pre-conquest Peruvian history. Radiant blues, yellows, reds, and greens embellished high-status apparel and accessories such as ear ornaments, pectorals, fans, headdresses, miniature ritual offerings, and large-scale hangings. Examples of them, drawn from public and private collections and the Museum’s own holdings, are on view.

The exhibition was made possible by the Friends of the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.

Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru