Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes

by Susan Bergh

Featuring approximately 145 of the most sumptuous and culturally significant Wari objects from collections in the United States, Peru, and Europe, and published to accompany the first exhibition in North America of their startlingly beautiful art An eminent ancestor of the better-known Inca, the Wari ascended to power in the south-central highlands of Peru in about AD 600, underwent a brief period of incandescently explosive growth, and then, by AD 1000, collapsed. Elite arts and the ideologies that informed them were among the Wari’s most prominent exports. From their capital, one of the largest archaeological sites in South America, they sent their religion along with elaborate objects and textiles out to highland provincial centers hundreds of miles to the north and south, and down into populous Pacific coastal areas to the west. The arts were crucial to the Wari’s political, economic, and religious like other ancient Andean peoples, they did not write. The objects featured here cover the full range of Wari elaborate textiles, which probably were at the core of their value systems; sophisticated ceramics of various styles; exquisite personal ornaments made of gold, silver, shell, or bone and often inlaid with precious materials; carved wood containers; and other works in stone and fiber. 200+ color illustrations

Genres: Art

304 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2012

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most amazing book in the world, changed my life!! Ok so I'm a little bias as you will see my name in the book as I worked quite hard with Sue to get it to print. That being said, if you want to learn about the Wari, this is the only book out there that covers them this extensively. With beautiful images, a classic sleek design, all of the experts in the field of the Wari have participated as authors. If you aren't an expert don't worry, it is still an easy enough read to appreciate. The amazing empire that the Wari developed (the first in the Andes) is laid out in these essays.