Toh Gen Kyo vol.28 - MIHO MUSEUM

Gold in ancient Peru was associated with masculine energy and the sun. The reflective nature of gold made it valued. Necklaces such as this suggested the connection between the kings and chiefs, who wore them, with the sun.

The ancient Maya developed characters to write the names of their founders on monuments and used several calendars to record their history. This celt or ritual ax represents the rachis of a corn leaf and was worn around the waist in sets of three. Incised on the front is a chief performing an important ritual at a major juncture of the long calendar, which was the time of the gods. The inscription on the back explains this.

The people of the ancient Americas sought sacred power and spirits everywhere and did not consider humans superior to animals. According to the creation myth of the Native Americans, after the great flood, the Turtle created the earth and symbolizes the blessings of nature and the origin of life. The Turtle was also associated with longevity and ancestor worship. During burials, a bowl such as this was used to cover the deceased’s head, which was bore with holes.

The ancient south Andean peoples developed the world’s most elaborate textiles. Woven fabrics were traded, stored, and offered to the gods and ancestors in large bundles. The large piece here is made of colorful tie-dye blocks of J-shaped and triangular-step patterns, composed of reciprocal exchanges of warps and wefts, sewn together. The ancient Andean people considered cloth to be sacred and valued its above all else in much the same way that the Mesoamericans prized jade.

The Mesoamerican ballgame was a hallmark of all its ancient societies. The balls were made of rubber, and the players wore helmets and protective waist, knee, and elbow pads. According to Mesoamerican mythology, the balls exemplified the movement of the heavenly body and closely connected with communication to the world of the gods and ancestors. This yoke, made of stone for ceremonial use, is thought to have originally been a wooden armament worn at the waist.