The themes of eroticism, sexuality, and their representations in art have been a source of great interest throughout history. And no wonder, because sexuality, along with religiosity, cultural creation, and the capacity for social organization, are some of the principal forces that govern and direct human experience and the survival of our species on this planet.

Erotic and sexual figures are as old as art itself. Paleolithic cave paintings and carvings contain depictions of human genitalia, believed to be symbols of fertility. Both the Egyptians and Greeks painted scenes of sexual activity on their pottery and temple walls. In the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, paintings and mosaics with various scenes with highly erotic content are also found.
and sexual.

In the region of Peru, Ecuador, and southern Colombia, the production of ceramics depicting erotic representations reached their greatest expression and complexity. The creative Mochica artisans of the northern coast of Peru, as well as those of the La Tolita and Jama-Coaque cultures of coastal Ecuador and southern Colombia, crafted thousands of these impressive pieces, which were used primarily as propitiatory and funerary offerings.

The valuable Catlett collection of erotic figures, donated to the Museum of the Americas, belongs mostly to the La Tolita culture, according to the expert report of archaeologist Osvaldo García Goyco, who studied them in 1997. This indigenous culture, concentrated on the island of La Tolita, is considered a great ceremonial center that flourished approximately between the years 500 BC and 500 AD.

For a long time, these pieces were hidden or destroyed by their discoverers, considered a threat to the family and religious values of the time. Even throughout most of the 20th century, galleries and museums considered them offensive, sinful, and violating established cultural norms. However, important collectors from around the world acquired them and displayed them in a very discreet and private manner.

But by the 21st century, these expressions have begun to be accepted as an anthropological, cultural, and artistic expression of the societies that created them. In both Europe and Latin America, old collections of erotic art have begun to be revalued and displayed to a public that receives them with interest, curiosity, and maturity.

On display from May 20, 2021.