Folia archeologica 27.

Borsányi László: Perui aranykincsek kiállítás a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeumban

212 L. BORSÁNYI The bulk of the exhibits - 152 pieces of 250 - is formed by objects produced in the Chimu Kingdom, in the northern coastland of Peru, flourishing in the second half of the first millennium A. D. The majority come from graves uncovered in the Lambayeque Valley, which is the richest find place of gold objects of Precolumbian Peru. We also displayed an archeological air photograph of the capital of the Chimu Kingdom, another important site of this culture. Peruvian metallurgy reached one of its summits during the Chimu period. The beautiful beakers decorated with repoussé work, of which we displayed twenty specimens, were nearly all beaten of a single gold sheet each. To the most characteristic pieces belongs the "huaco", a double spout vessel with a richly ornated semicircular bridge connecting the spouts. Interesting from an aesthetical point of view are the traces of paint observable on the gold funerary masks. Unique pieces - probably the most valuable items of the collection - are the gold hands, used in funeral ceremony. An outstanding piece is furthermore the ceremonial tunic, covered with about 3000 small gold sequins. To the most remarkable exhibits belongs a ritual beaker, connected by an intercommunicating tube to a plastic figure, representing a mythical scene, which points to its use in a fertility rite. Chimu necklaces, inlaid with interesting precious stones, of which 63 pieces were displayed demonstrate, by these very stones, the range of Chimu commerce. In Peru only one real precicu, s one, namely the emerald, imported from Columbia, was known, worked by grinding ands polishing; of the semi-precious stones rose quartz, amethyst and topaz were used, occurring in South America only in the Amazonas basin. The lapis-lazuli came, presumably, from the territory of Chile. The most common semi-precious stones, both easily workable and of a lower value, were the turquoise and the chrysocolla, mined locally; so was the rock crystal, fashioned by perforation with spot hammering. The relatively short period of the Incas, who conquered the Chimu Kingdom, is represented by 13 small gold objects. The evident disproportion as to the number of the objects shows, at the same time, the unquenchable gold thirst of Spanish conquistadors. The most characteristic specimens found in Inca graves - so-called "chuipa's" - are the finely worked small idols, represented by five pieces in our exhibition. In arranging the exhibition we broke up the area between the showcases with object photos enlarged to a square meter each; a low background music of Peruvian folk tunes was broadcast through loudspeakers. In an adjoining room short films on Peruvian archaeology were projected several times a day. The popularity of the exhibition is best shown by the high number of visitors, approaching 300,000, during 38 exhibition days. Felelős kiadó: Nemes Iván igazgató Műszaki szerkesztő: Sugár László Készült az MSZ 5601-59 szabvány szerint B/5 alakban, 18,55 A/5 ív terjedelemben, 800 példányban 76/4357. Franklin Nyomda, Budapest. Felelős: Vágó Sándorné igazgató