The Mexican Museum's permanent collection contains five collecting areas of artworks from Pre-Hispanic times to contemporary. This exhibit features 150 of our best pieces, a tiny fraction of the overall permanent collection of over 16,000 artworks. These are highlights reflecting the diversity of The Mexican Museum's vast, impressive collection acquired over 40 years as an institution.
Pre-Hispanic Art
The Museum’s Pre-Hispanic collection, encompassing Mesoamerican, Central American and South American cultures, span 2,500 years of history. Over 2,000 artifacts offer fine examples of vessels, ceremonial objects, tools, body ornaments and reliefs from major ancient cultures including Teotihuacan, Mayan, Zapotec, Nayarit, Colima and ancient Peruvian civilizations.
Colonial Art
Colonial art from the 18th and 19th centuries include carved wooden santos, oil paintings, works on tin, metal jewelry, ecclesiastical textiles, and decorative arts. There are over 1,500 objects in the colonial art holdings.