Museo Larco en Lima

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to do a blog on my favorite museum in Lima, but late is better than never right?  I actually went to this museum four times over the year I was in the city and enjoyed it more and more every time.   Museo Rafael Larco Herrera is the most well laid out and has by far the most artifacts of any museum that I visited in Peru.  The first time that I went was with Josh on a Mirabus tour when we first got to Lima and I was hooked.  

Museo Larco, in the Pueblo Libre district of Lima is in a gorgeous 1800's mansion and is actual built atop a pre-Columbian temple from the 7th century.  Inside are thousands and thousands of artifacts dating back up to 3000 years.  Founded in 1926 by Rafael Larco Herrera it contains ceramics, precious metal, and textile artifacts as well as a mummy.  There are several different galleries, so enjoy the photos and be sure to make this a stop if you are in Lima, even just overnight on your way to Cusco.

 In the ceramics gallery, there are pieces from the North Coast, Central, South and Highlands areas of Peru.  They at back to 7000BC and showcase any different styles and rituals that were performed over the centuries made from different types of mud and clay.

Gloria, enjoying some of the pieces in the museum.  

Stone and bone tools, scrapers and knives.

 The textile gallery contains resins such as nets, ropes, bags used in the pre-ceramic area (8000-2000BC) are with vegetable fibers.  Later they used wool and cotton and discovered dyes as well as inventing the loom.

 The mummy of a boy wrapped in the fetal position inside his sarcophagus.

The Gold and Silver gallery contains ceremonial pieces , jewelry, and decorative pieces used during battle.  These pieces also depicted stature in the community.  

The two pictures below are pieces used for blood letting and human sacrifice.  The blood was offered to the gods.  

The Erotic Gallery was essentially like the Kama Sutra in pottery form.  The one below is of a person with syphillis.  

The museum also has a gorgeous garden and restaurant.  The restaurant has some amazing food and a great pisco sour if you are hungry after your tour.  Below is Josh and I and Gloria.