Collecting the Pre-Columbian Past: A Symposium at Dumbarton Oaks, 6th and 7th October 1990

Description

The history of Pre-Columbian collecting is a social and aesthetic history–of ideas| people and organizations| and objects. This richly illustrated volume examines these histories by considering the collection and display of Pre-Columbian objects in Europe| Latin America| and the United States. Some of the thirteen essays locate the collecting process within its broader cultural setting in order to explain how and why such collections were formed| while others consider how collections have served as documents of culture within the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology| and as objects of fine art or aesthetic statements within the art and art historical worlds. Nearly all contemplate how such collections have been used as active signifiers of political| economic| and cultural power. The thirteen essays were originally presented at a symposium commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Pre-Columbian Collection at Dumbarton Oaks. They continue to be groundbreaking contributions to the histories of collecting and Pre-Columbian art.