Five centuries after the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, the ancient civilizations of America are still shrouded in mystery. The richness, purity and power of their art as well as their technical prowess immediately instilled real admiration in the conquistadores who delivered emphatic praise to their kings about it. This art was poles apart from the aesthetic criteria of the Renaissance, which sought to bring back classical Greek and Roman values. It was astonishing because it represented a new and vibrant culture, and had no equivalent in the canons of Western beauty.

The gold and silver of the necklaces and chest armour, the precious stones, such as jade, obsidian and alabaster, the feathers, the skilfully woven and dyed vicuna could only astound.

The cities were just as impressive, with massive stones adorning the palaces with a powerful, symbolic, and sometimes frightening statuary. In the middle of the 18th century, the first archaeological visitors had already made South America a land of excavations. They invented a new way of studying mankind, their rites, and their customs.

The large production of terracotta objects permits collectors to acquire very decorative pieces, with a strong but never vulgar presence, and a pleasing approach to colour and shape, which give them a very modern feel. We carry out a rigorous and very technical selection process to help you avoid the fakes that proliferate in these regions.