BARCELONA.- Under the title Pre-Columbian Funerary Art, the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona exhibits a series of pieces that are representative of the main cultures present in the areas of Mesoamerica, Centro-America and the Andes, before the arrival of any Europeans and the subsequent as well as abrupt culture upheaval that this entailed.

Most of the objects on show were conceived and used as part of the funerary equipment that accompanied the deceased to their tombs. This protected and privileged space made possible the preservation of very fragile pieces, such as those created in ceramic, that despite the long time passed are still in an impeccable state even nowadays.

At the same time, the exhibition approaches the biographical profile of Carmen Tórtola Valencia: cultured, multifaceted and singular artist whose creative work as a dancer was inspired by her exotic feeling and by the mystery of ancient civilizations.

As an art collector, Tórtola Valencia gathered a number of Pre-Columbian objects that today form part of the Collection of Pre-Columbian Art of the well established Clos Archaeological Foundation. All in all, the collection comprises 200 carefully chosen pieces that were compiled over twenty five years. This is the first time they are on show in their totality.