Aztecs in Melbourne

Through August 10, visitors to the Melbourne Museum can discover the ingenious agricultural technology, bustling commercial empire and pantheon of deities of Mexico's ancient Aztec civilization. Aztecs explores accounts of war, the arrival of Spanish explorers in Aztec territory, the encounter between Cortés and Moctezuma, and both the truth and fiction of Aztec human sacrifice. The installation was developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in partnership with the National Council for Culture and the Arts - National Institute of Anthropology and History - Mexico, the Australian Museum, and Museum Victoria.

Visit the exhibition's official website.

Image courtesy of Museum Victoria

The Barbier-Mueller Collection at Sotheby's

On March 22 & 23, selections from the exquisite Barbier-Mueller Collection of Pre-Columbian Art will be offered at Sotheby's Paris. Formerly held by the Museu Barbier-Mueller d'Art Precolombí in Barcelona, these masterpieces of ancient American art will now find new homes at auction. Featuring over 300 lots, the sale will offer an astonishing array of works in stone, metal, and ceramic from traditional cultures stretching from Mexico to Peru. A few highlights from the sale can be found below. For complete information on this momentous auction, view the official online catalogue at the Sotheby's website.

Figure of Chalchiuhtlicue, Goddess of Water  -  Aztec, Mexico  -  1300–1521 AD

Female figure with stepped-cross motifs  -  Chupicuaro, Mexico  -  ca. 400 BC

Seated figure  -  Olmec, Mexico  -  900–600 BC

Information and images courtesy of Sotheby's