Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino) is an art museum in Santiago, Chile, dedicated to the study and display of pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from Central and South America. Founded by Chilean architect and antiquities collector Sergio Larraín García-Moreno, the museum opened in December 1981 in the historic centre of Santiago. It is regarded as one of the most important museums for pre-Columbian art in the Americas, housing a collection that spans approximately 10,000 years and represents nearly 100 different cultural groups. The institution is currently owned by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage of Chile.

Sergio Larraín García-Moreno spent nearly fifty years assembling a private collection of pre-Columbian artefacts based on aesthetic rather than anthropological criteria. During the 1970s, he commissioned lawyer Julio Philippi to develop a legal framework for establishing an institution to house these objects, leading to the creation of the Fundación Familia Larraín Echeñique. In the early 1980s, this foundation reached an agreement with Santiago's municipal government, which provided support for securing premises and covering infrastructure and general expenses. The museum first opened to the public in December 1981. From 1981 until 2020, the museum was directed by archaeologist and jurist Carlos Aldunate del Solar, who served for 39 years. He was succeeded by architect Cecilia Puga, a granddaughter of Sergio Larraín García-Moreno. In January 2014, through a partnership with Minera Escondida and BHP Billiton, the museum inaugurated a major expansion designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke, increasing the museum's area by 70 percent and adding exhibition spaces, storage facilities, and a conservation laboratory.

The museum's collections draw from the major pre-Columbian culture areas of Mesoamerica, the Intermediate or Isthmo-Colombian region, Pan-Caribbean, Amazonia, and the Andes. The holdings comprise over 3,000 pieces representing almost 100 different groups of people, with items ranging from about 10,000 years ago to more modern periods. The original collection was assembled according to aesthetic quality rather than scientific or historical context. The permanent collections include pre-Columbian pieces from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, alongside an ethnographic collection of Mapuche and Aymara works. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and maintains a research library.

The collection is organised into four main areas. The Mesoamerica area includes a statue of Xipe Totec, an incense burner from the Teotihuacan culture, and a Mayan bas-relief. The Intermediate area features pottery from the Valdivia people, Capuli figures chewing coca leaf, and gold objects from the Veraguas and Diquis cultures. The Central Andes area contains masks and copper figures, many confiscated from graves, including examples from the Moche culture and textiles; this area holds the oldest textile in the museum, a painted cloth nearly 3,000 years old from the Chavín culture. The Southern Andes area features modern Chilean and Argentinian pieces, ceramic urns from the Aguada culture, snuff trays from the San Pedro culture, and an Incan quipu. The museum also possesses Chinchorro mummies, among the oldest in the world, and highlights a precious Andean textile collection with pieces over 3,000 years old.

The museum is housed in the Palacio de la Real Aduana, constructed between 1805 and 1807. The building is located one block west of the Plaza de Armas, close to the Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia de Santiago and the Former National Congress Building. Following Chilean independence, the building served various functions including as the National Library and for judicial purposes. After a fire and subsequent renovation, it was adapted for museum use. The historic ensemble has been protected since 1969. The 2014 expansion designed by Smiljan Radić Clarke added a two-storey underground structure of 1,400 square metres, carefully designed to preserve the external appearance of the historic building while substantially increasing functional space.

The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art is located in the city centre of Santiago, Chile. Its central position near the Plaza de Armas makes it easily accessible within the historic core of the capital. The museum is owned by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage of Chile. Visitors can access information through the museum's official website at www.precolombino.cl, which is available in Spanish and English. The institution continues to serve as a major centre for the study, conservation, and public display of pre-Columbian art from across the Americas.