Bolivar 1515, Pueblo Libre, Lima, Peru.
+51 1 461 1312.
A grand 18th-century mansion built on a pre-Columbian pyramid dating back to the seventh century is a fitting home for this huge private collection of Peruvian pre-Columbian art – 45,000 pieces amassed by sugar baron Rafael Larco Hoyle. Ancient textiles include a fragment showing 389 threads to 3cm (a world record). Also stone ornaments and weapons, jewellery, pottery, crowns, beads the size of golf balls, chest plates, ear and nose rings, funerary masks and a shirt made of gold discs. The gallery of erotic art depicts the very healthy sex life of ancient Peruvians. Take a minute or five under the bougainvillea-covered terrace of the cafe to enjoy a Lima rarity – serenity.
WebsiteSource: Qantas The Australian Way July 2007
Updated: August 2008