ORLANDO, FL.- Due to popular demand, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) extends Ancestors of the Incas: The Majesty of Ancient Peru, Selections and Gifts from the Dr. and Mrs. Solomon D. Klotz Collection through June 2005. Ancestors of the Incas, which has never been exhibited before, includes more than 210 objects made by all of the major ancient cultures of the Central Andes region including the Chavín, Nazca, Moche, Chimú, Huari and Inca. Although these cultures never developed a formal written language, much of their history, myths and legends was passed down through significant art forms. These pieces date from 1400 B.C.-A.D. 1530 and include striking ceramic portraits of Moche rulers, gold and silver royal vessels, rare and delicate inlaid wooden boxes, textiles and jewelry of turquoise, mother-of-pearl and shell. The exhibition also showcases 69 recent donations from Dr. and Mrs. Solomon D. Klotz to the OMA's permanent collection of Art of the Ancient Americas.

"It is so exciting to be able to present such an extraordinary collection from our own community. I think visitors will be amazed when they see these special ancient treasures that have not been exhibited before," says Andrea Kalis, OMA curator of ancient Americas and African art.

Specifically, some of the highlights include a large silver vessel in the form of a llama head, delicate carved shell and turquoise necklaces from the Chimú culture, bold polychrome ceramic vessels from the Nazca culture and a group of elegant stirrup-spout ceramic vessels from the Chavín culture, one of the oldest artistic traditions in Peru dating as far back as 1400 B.C.

When renowned archaeologist and professor of anthropology at the University of Florida Dr. Michael Moseley visited the OMA to see the pieces, he said he was " … in a state of shock and amazement at materials I had not seen before. There are many very superb pieces." According to Dr. Moseley, this recent gift "in conjunction with the OMA's previous holdings, will put the OMA on the map for Andean scholars."

Since the late 1970s, scholars, such as Dr. S. J. K. Wilkerson, formerly of the University of Florida, have considered the OMA's Art of the Ancient Americas Collection to be the broadest and most representative in the entire Southeast. With the addition of this recent gift, the OMA's collection has reached a new level of excellence and scholarly importance.

The OMA's permanent collection of Art of the Ancient Americas has grown by more than 180 percent in the past six years, and includes more than 750 pieces of ancient art from the Southwest United States, Mexico and Central and South America. The pieces represent a range of more than 3,500 years, dating from approximately 2000 B.C.-A.D. 1530. The collection includes many of the major cultures of the ancient Americas such as the Anasazi of the Southwest United States; the Zapotec and Aztec of Mexico; the Maya of Central America; the Nicoya and Veraguas of Costa Rica and Panama; and the Moche, Nazca and Inca of Peru.