The world of Spirits

An elegant 17th-century house on Cuenca Street in the historic centre of Quito, long known as the Casa del Alabado (the House of Praise), is today an important museum of the same name. The Casa del Alabado Museum conserves some 5,000 archaeological objects created by the ancient people who occupied the territory known today as Ecuador; a finely honed selection of 500 pieces makes up the museum's permanent exhibition. Here, through superb photographs and expert texts, this book brings the unique collection of Pr-Columbian art to a wider public, explaining the worldview and philosophy of indigenous Americans, in particular the importance of preserving life by maintaining the flow of cosmic energy and spiritual communication between the distinct worlds that made up their universe. The objects themselves, amazing in their aesthetic and technical excellence, are masterworks created by ancient artists in a range of raw materials.