Transformation: Art of the Americas

People of the indigenous Americas radically modified their bodies in the belief that altering their physical selves would transform them into deities and supernatural beings. The objects on view, including gold jewelry, stone sculptures, musical instruments, and a painted ceramic burial urn, powerfully illustrate a fundamental worldview of the ancient Americas: that states of being—human, animal, and divine—were fluid and interchangeable.

This exhibition is generously supported by Walters Art Museum members and contributors to the annual fund. Major support has been provided by PNC Foundation.

CURATOR
Ellen Hoobler, William B. Ziff, Jr., Associate Curator of Art of the Americas, 1200 BCE–1500 CE, The Walters Art Museum, with Verónica Betancourt, Manager of Gallery Learning.

ABOVE: Maya, Stucco Portrait Head, AD 550-850. Gift of John G. Bourne, 2009.