Showing posts with label pottery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pottery. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Brüning Museum, pioneer in Lambayeque, Peru


Brüning Museum, pioneer in Lambayeque

Enrique Brüning


The creator of the Museum, Enrique Brüning, (Hoffeld, Germany, August 20, 1848; Bordesholm, Germany, July 2, 1928) was a researcher, mechanical engineer, naturalist, archaeologist, ethnographer, photographer and collector of antiquities.

Hans Heinrich, as a mechanical engineer and at the age of 27, decided to come to Peru, arrived at the port of Callao in 1875. He then arrived at the Eten port of Chiclayo to work as a mechanic at the sugar plantation in Pátapo. Soon, he began to visit the nearby haciendas; since 1894 he is known as Enrique.

The interest for the archeology begins in 1883, since then, Brüning with his camera photographed the oldest constructions and the inhabitants of the time. Amateur photographer and good sketcher, he created high quality plans; recorded more than two thousand photos on glass plates, in negative and positive films. The purchase and collection of ceramics, metals, precious stones and carved wood, was completed with ethnography, archeology. He was a loved and respected person.


When he was 49 years old (1897) and twenty years of work in Peru, he returns to his country; completes its library and links with top-level institutions. He returned to Peru in 1898; and in 1902, Brüning took part in a risky expedition to find the shortest route between the Marañon basin and the Pacific coast, accompanied by the Pole Eduardo de Habich and Manuel Antonio Mesones Muro, with whom he came to the Pongo de Manseriche. Brüning wrote an ethnographic description of the Aguaruna peoples.

The muchik inhabitants of the north of Peru avoided strangers, but Brüning earned his trust; he stayed to live in Villa de Eten to study the language muchik, and publish a dictionary in 1917. He is the author of other publications and articles that he published in the German magazines Anthropophyteia and Globus. Brüning, violinist and music lover, used wax cylinders and recorded music in the muchik dialect. The originals are conserved in the Anthropological Museum of Hamburg of Germany, they are the first recordings of popular music made in Peru.

In the 50 years that he was in Peru, he bought and collected ceramics; in 1916 he had so many that he decided to sell part of his collection to the Peruvian State. These pieces were now part of the First Regional Museum of Peru located in his house, which since July 10, 1921 became the Museum of Brüning. Brüning was the first appointed director. He was a short time in office, and for having 77 years of age and health discomfort, resigned to leave June 17, 1925, a rainy afternoon without anyone firing him in Port Eten. In Germany, a sudden cardiac arrest put out his life on July 2, 1928.


The museum

The Brüning National Archaeological Museum, located in the city of Lambayeque, Peru; It has collections of archaeological pieces Lambayeque, Mochicas, Chavín, Vicús, Inca, Chimú. The Brüning is the first museum in the Lambayeque region and one of the first efforts to show the rich cultural wealth of northern Peru.



In its gardens it is shown Naylamp, founder of the dynasty of the Lambayecan kings; the facade has a colorful mural. The interior of the main building has four levels, between its corridors and halls are exposed more than 1400 archaeological pieces that show the sophisticated technology and artistic quality of the ancient Peruvians. The most important works date back more than 10,000 years. The first place where the Brüning Museum operated was the home of Hans Heinrich Brüning, in 1921 at 271 San Roque Street. The current headquarters was opened in 1966 and was supported by the German government. Between 2005 and 2006 it was remodeled under the auspices of the German government.



The permanent exhibition

Golden Room: In this environment one of the most important goldsmith collections of America is conserved (500 pieces), including pieces found in the tomb of the Lord of Sipán.



Exhibition Hall Hans Heinrich Brüning: This room displays the archaeological and historical legacy of the founder for 50 years.

Multimedia Room: Beginning of the route, where a multimedia projection samples the visitor the content of the museum and topics related to the region (culture, art, tradition, folklore).

Introductory Room: Area designed to offer a global vision of the general content through information panels.

Hall of the Goldsmiths: Shows the Lambayecan culture in everyday life. In a ceramics workshop, 2500 years old techniques are baked and reproduced; visitors can participate by reproducing or recreating pieces of archeology and local culture.




Room of Cultural Evolution of the North Region: Evidences of music and dance, religion, quackery, oral tradition and Muchik language are shown. A scene of curanderismo is recreated; as well as recreations of the elaboration of "chicha" (mochica ancestral drink), textile, pottery and fishing. Also shown is a life-size reed horse and mannequins in a fishing scene.

Materials of the Early Cultures are shown on the second floor; as those corresponding to ceremonial centers of Purulen, Udima, the enigmatic geoglyphs El Búho and El Águila in Oyotún, the funerary complex of the Morro de Eten Shaman, and the Salinar and Virú Cultures.




The third floor dedicated to the Chimú and Inka Culture, contains products of Pre-Hispanic Technology and Production (agriculture, woodwork, musical instruments, artifacts made in concha spondyllus and conus) that show the vast production and technological advance of the ancient Lambayecano settlers.

Ceramic, textiles, architecture and the sea are exhibited on the fourth floor. The scene of the Caballito de Totora; that of the master potter who transforms clay into useful objects; and the weaver with her loom at the waist that with her manual dexterity turning the thread into fabrics or fabrics.




One of the most representative groups is the "Priestess of Chornancap", character that symbolizes religiosity and political power in the Lambayeque Culture (12th and 13th century AD). The funeral trousseau is made up of 300 pieces of fine ceramics, metal with gold, copper, silver alloys adorned with iconographic elements, high quality jewelry that includes pearl objects with gold and silver beads, miniature works of art carved in shells marinas and stone.

Links to other Lambayeque Museums

Museums of Lambayeque, northern Peru
Sican Museum of Culture

Museum of Huaca Chotuna

Museum of Huaca Rajada

Túcume site museum

Museum of Royal Tombs of the Lord of Sipán

References

Museo Arqueológico Nacional Brüning


Enrique Brüning


Ministerio de Cultura dispone el ingreso gratuito al Museo Brüning por 96 aniversario

Museo Arqueológico Nacional Bruning