Dumbarton Oaks Museum, Pre-Columbian Galleries, Washington, DC Photos

The Pre-Columbian Galleries of the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Georgetown, Washington, DC, are situated in a modern round building (1959) designed by architect Philip Johnson. The early native art ranges from Peru through Mexico.

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Dumbarton Oaks, with core started in 1801. Washington, DC.Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Round outdoor courtyard at center of Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Circles of pillars of Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Dumbarton Oaks, with core started in 1801. Washington, DC. Pre-Columbian Galleries (1959) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC. Architect: Philip Johnson.Round outdoor courtyard at center of Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Circles of pillars of Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Display cases in Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Olmec jadeite mask from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Nazca gold bird headdress ornament from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Nazca gold bird headdress ornament from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Display cases in Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Galleries at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Olmec jadeite mask (900-300 BCE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Nazca gold bird headdress ornament (150-300) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Nazca gold bird headdress ornament (150-300) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Nazca ceramic cup painted with trophy heads from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Nazca ceramic double-spout-&-bridge bottle painted with fearsome creature from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottles from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face with bird headdress from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Nazca ceramic cup painted with trophy heads (350-450) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Nazca ceramic double-spout-&-bridge bottle painted with fearsome creature (350-450) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottles (100-800) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face with bird headdress (100-800) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face with fangs, snake ears & feline headdress from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face painted rather than sculpted from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face being held by arms by supernatural bird from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Teotihuacan serpentine mask from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face with fangs, snake ears & feline headdress (100-800) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face painted rather than sculpted (100-800) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Moche ceramic stirrup-spout bottle figure of Wrinkle Face being held by arms by supernatural bird (100-800) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Teotihuacan serpentine mask (0-600 CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Teotihuacan ceramic tripod jar with lid from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Collection of Mayan ballgame sculpted stones at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Mayan ceremonial stone yokes mimic protective padding worn by ballgame players at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Mayan ballgame sculpted stone head at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Teotihuacan ceramic tripod jar with lid (200-750 CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Collection of Mayan ballgame sculpted stones (aka hachas) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC. On National Register.Mayan ceremonial stone yokes mimic protective padding worn by ballgame players at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Mayan ballgame sculpted stone head (aka hachas) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Classic Mayan ceramic polychrome jar painted with creator deity from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Late Classic Mayan ceramic vessel painted with palace scene from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Late Classic Mayan ceramic vessel painted with accession ceremony from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Late Classic Mayan ceramic polychrome tripod plate painted with figure with headdress from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Classic Mayan ceramic polychrome jar painted with creator deity (500-700CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Late Classic Mayan ceramic vessel painted with palace scene (650-900 CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Late Classic Mayan ceramic vessel painted with accession ceremony (650-900 CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Late Classic Mayan ceramic polychrome tripod plate painted with figure with headdress (600-700 CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Late Classic Mayan ceramic polychrome vessel painted with court scenes from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Wari ceramic stirrup-spout bottle painted with skull effigy from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Guanacaste-Nicoya jadeite axe-god pendant from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Veraguas & Diquis-Chiriqui gold eagle pendants from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Late Classic Mayan ceramic polychrome vessel painted with court scenes (650-900 CE) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Wari ceramic stirrup-spout bottle painted with skull effigy (650-1000) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Guanacaste-Nicoya jadeite axe-god pendant (500 BCE-500 CE) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Veraguas & Diquis-Chiriqui gold eagle pendants (700-1500) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Veraguas gold eagle pendant from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Veraguas gold eagle pendant from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé shell necklace or gorget from Pacific coast of Panama at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé gold disk with god Sibu figure from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Veraguas gold eagle pendant (700-1500) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Veraguas gold eagle pendant (700-1500) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé shell necklace or gorget (700-1000) from Pacific coast of Panama at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé gold disk with god Sibu figure (700-1000) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Coclé gold disk with anthropomorphic figure from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé gold crocodile pendant from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé gold frog pendant from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Veraguas gold frog with double-headed snake pendant from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Coclé gold disk with anthropomorphic figure (700-1000) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé gold crocodile pendant (700-1000) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Coclé gold frog pendant (500-1300) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Veraguas gold frog with double-headed snake pendant (700-1500) from Costa Rica at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Collection of Chimú grave goods from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Chimú gold pectoral from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Chimú silver embossed disk from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Chimú ceramic stirrup-spout bottle with bird from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Collection of Chimú grave goods (900-1470) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Chimú gold pectoral (900-1470) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Chimú silver embossed disk (900-1470) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Chimú ceramic stirrup-spout bottle with bird (900-1470) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Lambayeque gold double-spout & bridge bottle from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Mixtec gold canid head bead from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Aztec-style jadeite rabbit at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Aztec skull necklace in shells at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Lambayeque gold double-spout & bridge bottle (900-1100) from Peru at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Mixtec gold canid head bead (900-1520) from Mexico at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Aztec-style jadeite rabbit (c19thC) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Aztec skull necklace in shells (1200-1520) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Aztec stone rattlesnake at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Inca silver standing male figure at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Inca gold standing figures at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
Aztec stone rattlesnake (1200-1520) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Inca silver standing male figure (1450-1540) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.Inca gold standing figures (1450-1540) at Dumbarton Oaks Museum. Washington, DC.
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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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