The mysterious puma: Art and Klau in the Lower Saxony State Museum!

The mysterious puma: Art and Klau in the Lower Saxony State Museum!

A special exhibition in the Hanover State Museum draws attention to an important cultural heritage: the "Puma of Tiahuanaco", an ancient stone figure from Bolivia, which is about 1,500 years old. This impressive figure was illegally acquired in 1971 at the Tiahuanaco excavation site, near Lake Titicaca.

The Puma has had a permanent place in the State Museum of Hanover since its arrival in Germany in 2023. The special exhibition entitled "Wing Worlds. A Puma between the Worlds" forms the central framework to address the Problem of illegal trade in cultural assets in South America. Last but not least, the illegal market for pre -Colombic objects is a persistent problem in the region, since many such cultural goods are excavated in an unauthorized manner and often sold to tourists or are smuggled across borders.

background and meaning of the pumas

In precolumbic Tiahuano culture, the puma is viewed as a symbol animal that embodies strength and wisdom. The Tiahuanaco culture was between 100 BC. Chr. And 500 AD active and is considered a cultural and spiritual center of Aymara culture. The term "Huaqueo" describes the illegal excavation of cultural goods and has historical roots to the Spanish invasion. The exhibition aims to create transparency about the origin of the puma and to encourage discussions about dealing with such artifacts.

The museum extends the exhibition with objects from its ethnological collection, which are also assigned to Tiahuanaco culture. This cultural context helps visitors to better understand the heir and to honor the importance of the puma in the historical framework. In addition, the exhibition encounters questions regarding the prerequisites for accepting the gift of the puma, because there may be no export permit for the figure.

The exhibition "Status Quo Museum? A Puma between the Worlds" runs until March 31st in the Hanover State Museum and not only offers an impressive view of the ancient cultural asset, but also the challenges that the return and handling of such objects bring with it today. Curator tours with Louisa Hartmann are planned for January 24 and February 21, each at 2 p.m. to provide deeper insights into the topic.

For more information about the special exhibition and the historical context of the Pumas you can do the articles on taz.de Read.

-transmitted by West-Ost-Medien