Royal Tombs of Sipán (Exhibition)

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Exist Dates

1994 June 24 - 1995 January

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract
Exhibition. Opened June 24, 1994 and closed January 1, 1995. Located in Section 3, Floor 3 in Gallery 3 at the American Museum of Natural History. Royal Tombs of Sipán featured artifacts from the excavation of three tombs in present-day Peru of the pre-Columbian Moche society nobles.

Summary

Royal Tombs of Sipán featured artifacts from the excavation of three tombs in present-day Peru of the pre-Columbian Moche society nobles. It was organized by the Brüning National Archaeological Museum in Lambayeque, Peru and the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles, curated by Walter Alva and Christopher B. Donnan and coordinated for the Museum by Craig Morris of the Department of Anthropology in cooperation with the National Institute of Culture in Peru and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ahmanson Foundation. The exhibition’s presentation at the American Museum of Natural History was supported by ASARCO Incorporated/Southern Perú Copper Corporation, Aero-perú/FOPTOR, Banco del Credito del Perú, el diario/LA PRENSA, CS First Boston, Bearns, Stearns & Co. The contents of the tombs were excavated by Walter Alva of the Brüning National Archaeological Museum in 1987 (1; 2; 3; 4). The Museum’s Department of Education presented related lectures and performances (5).

Exhibition highlights (1):

*A recreation of the tomb of the warrior-priest, the “Lord of Sipán”

*Large hammered-gold headdress found under the body of the Lord of Sipán and a gold and silver scepter found in his right hand

*A life-size mannequin of the Lord of Sipán dressed in replicas of ceremonial regalia

*Sections on the daily life, art, and ceremonies of the Moche

*English and Spanish audio tours

*Cut-away murals showing how objects were placed in burials

*Backlit images illustrating the look of restored artifacts prior to restoration

A model of the tomb of the Lord of Sipán is on view in the Museum’s Hall of South American Peoples as of 2018 as is another model in the Museo Tumbas Reales del Señor de Sipán in Lambayeque, Peru (6; 7).

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

    (1) “Royal Tombs of Sipán.” Rotunda (June 1994)
    (2) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History.
    (3) "At the American Museum of Natural History." Natural History (June 1994).
    (4) American Museum of Natural History. “Royal Tombs of Sipán.” [1994] [brochure]
    (5) American Museum of Natural History. “Royal Tombs of Sipán Exhibition.” [1994]. [flyer]
    (6) American Museum of Natural History. Hall of South American Peoples. Research Library | Authorities. Accessed August 17, 2018: http://data.library.amnh.org/archives-authorities/id/amnhc_4000054
    (7) Museo Tumbas Reales del Señor de Sipán - Lambayeque, Peru. Accessed August 17, 2018: http://www.museotumbasreales.com

Terms

place
New YorkExternal link
AMNH: Section 3, Floor 3

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

ASARCO Incorporated/Southern Peru Copper Corporation
Funder (1)
AeroperúExternal link
Funder; referred to as Aero-perú/FOPTOR in Museum documentation (1)
Ahmanson FoundationExternal link
Funder (1)
Alva, WalterExternal link
Discovered tombs and artifacts on view; co-curator of exhibition; affiliated with the Brüning National Archaeological Museum in Lambayeque, Peru (1; 3)
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Anthropology.
Related department (1)
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Education.
Presented related programming (5)
American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 3.
Location of exhibition 1994 June 24 – 1995 January 1 (1)
American Museum of Natural History. Hall of South American Peoples.
Location of Lord of Sipán tomb model (6)
Banco de Crédito del PerúExternal link
Funder (1)
Bear, Stearns, & Co.External link
Funder (4)
Credit Suisse First BostonExternal link
Funder (4)
Donnan, Christopher B.External link
Co-curator of exhibition (3)
El Diario La Prensa
Funder (1)
Instituto Nacional de Cultura (Peru)External link
Institutional partner (1)
Morris, Craig 1939-2006
Coordinated exhibition for Museum; curator, Museum Department of Anthropology (2)
Museo BrüningExternal link
Institutional partner (1)
Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán (Peru)External link
Location of Lord of Sipán tomb model (7)
National Endowment for the HumanitiesExternal link
Funder (1)
University of California, Los Angeles. Fowler Museum of Cultural HistoryExternal link
Institutional partner (1)

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1993-1994: 16, 18, 23, 72-73, 85.
American Museum of Natural History photographic drawers
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Black and white contact sheets of exhibition on view]
[American Museum of Natural History temporary exhibitions posters] [poster]
Date of resource: [1975]-[2009]
American Museum of Natural History vertical files
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Exhibition brochures in English and Spanish; photocopy pages from 1993-1994 annual report, Natural History, and Rotunda, flyer advertising related programming]
Moche art and archaeology in ancient Peru / edited by Joanne Pillsbury.
Date of resource: 2001
Natural history.
"At the American Museum of Natural History" (June 1994)
Peru : kingdoms of the sun and the moon / edited by Victor Pimentel ; with the cooperation of Walter Alva, Ulla Holmquist, Natalia Majluf, Luis Eduardo Wuffarden ; [exhibition] under the directorship of Nathalie Bondil ; [exhibition] curator, Victor Pimentel.
Date of resource: 2013
Rotunda.
"Royal Tombs of Sipan" (June 1994)
subjectOf
Royal Tombs of Sipán photographic slides, 1994.
subjectOf
Royal tombs of Sipán / Walter Alva, Christopher B. Donnan.
Date of resource: 1993
subjectOf
Royal Tombs of Sipan : [videorecording]. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Date of resource: 1994

Written by: Clare O'Dowd
Last modified: 2019 February 6


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