Delve into the rich pre-colonial heritage of Peru at the Larco Museum. Spanning some 10,000 years of early Peruvian history, this museum’s remarkable exhibitions provide a unique insight into the civilisations that lived on this land before the arrival of the conquistadors. Highlights include the gold and jewellery exhibition and the collection of erotic pottery, arguably the largest in the world.
The museum takes its name from the man who started the collection, one Rafael Larco Herrera. It was opened in 1926, on Independence Day in Peru. The 18th-century mansion in which the museum is housed actually sits on top of a pre-Columbian pyramid – talk about layers of history. Browse the temporary and permanent exhibitions of the Larco Museum for a glimpse into the interrupted cultures of indigenous Peru, with a range of artefacts from around ten millennia in time.
Explore the Larco Museum’s vast collection of remnants from pre-colonial indigenous groups including the Moches, Chimus, Nazcas, and Incas. Head to the impressive Cultures Gallery, which is divided into four sections by geographic origin. Take an English-language guided tour to get the most out of the museum.
The Gold and Jewellery Gallery is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the precious ornamentation so commonly associated with pre-Columbian societies. Look through an impressive collection of crowns, masks, and nose rings, and ponder the cultural importance of such adornment in ancient civilisations.
The Larco Museum is home to a vast collection of erotic pottery, which it claims is the largest in the world. In the 1960s, the Peruvian artist Rafael Larco Hoyle made an extensive study into the sexual practices of pre-Columbian social groups and then produced a series of ceramic models depicting ancient sexual behaviour.
The Larco Museum is open every day from morning until night. There is a fee for entry. The museum is easily accessible from the town centre with either a 15-minute taxi ride or a bus trip along Mariano Cornejo followed by a short walk. After your visit, stop by the gift shop to look at replicas of many items in display in the museum.
