The colonial Andes tapestries and silverwork, 1530-1830 ; [published in conjunction with the exhibition "The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530-1830", held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, september 29 - december 12, 2004

When the Spanish landed on the coast of what is today Peru in 1532, they encountered the socially complex, artistically vibrant Inca Empire, whose vast, geographically diverse domain encompassed almost the entire length of the rugged Andes. Inca master weavers and metalsmiths, building on thousands of years of local artisanal mastery, had created a spectacular body of imperial art whose bold, mostly geometric designs were powerful expressions of Inca identity and sovereignty. Within one generation that culture had been forever transformed by the establishment of the viceroyalty of Peru. The remarkable exchange of cultures that ensued brought Europe and the New World together through a vibrant trade in goods, services, and ideas, creating a unique society that was richer and far more intriguing than the mere sum of its influences.

Produced to accompany an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, this fascinating and lavishly illustrated volume presents seven essays and a catalogue of works selected from more that 70 lenders worldwide. The essays consider topics that include the Inca heritage of colonial art in Peru, garments as a symbol of identity in the colonial Andes, developments and traditions in silverwork and tapestry, religion and society, and indigenous notions of wealth. Lengthy entries accompany the 161 works found in the catalogue, which were written by scholars in the US, Canada, France, Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Distributed by Yale U. Press (their ISBN is 0-300-10491-X). Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The New York Times - Christopher Benfey

Extraordinary artwork from farther south is displayed in the fascinating volume The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530-1830, by Elena Phipps, Johanna Hecht and Cristina Esteras Martin. The discovery by Spanish invaders of silver (worshiped by the Inca as the tears of the moon) in abundance in the Bolivian mountains ignited a cultural explosion.

The arrival of the Spanish in South America in 1532 permanently transformed the Andean cultural landscape. Within a generation, societies that had developed over thousands of years, including the great Inca Empire, had been irrevocably altered. The arts from the Spanish colonial periodthose that drew on native traditions, such as textiles, silver, woodwork, and stonework, as well as painting, sculpture, and other genres introduced by the Spanishpreserve an unspoken dialogue that developed between Andean and European modes of expression. This beautiful book presents silver objects, textiles, and other masterpieces of colonial Andean culture. Essays discuss the artistry of this culture and explain how it has been recently reevaluated and celebrated for its vibrant energy reflecting the convergence of two essentially distinct cultural traditions. "This unique volume illustrates and discusses in detail more than 160 extraordinary fine and decorative art works of the colonial Andes, including examples of the intricate Inca weavings and metalwork that preceded the colonial era as well as a few of the remarkably inventive forms this art took after independence from Spain. An international array of scholars and experts examines the cultural context, aesthetic preoccupations, and diverse themes of art from the viceregal period, particularly the florid patternings and the fanciful beasts and hybrid creatures that have come to characterize colonial Andean art."--Jacket