Join curator Laura Filloy Nadal on a tour through ancient Nayarit house models, offering a unique window into life in West Mexico between 100 BCE and 200 CE. Explore detailed scenes of village life, feasting, and community gatherings, that share details of the traditions that shaped the lives of those who lived in what is now the state of Nayarit. As part of this tour, we uncover a previously “hidden” room—an element that reveals an important aspect of these models: they were built from the inside out. It does not matter that the viewer, ancient or modern, cannot see every element; it matters that they are there. These models reconstruct the world of the living, to create one for the dead. 

Featured artwork: 
House Model, 100 BCE–200 CE 
Nayarit, Mexico 
Ceramic and pigment, H. 12 in. (30.5 cm) 
Gift of Joanne P. Pearson, in memory of Andrall E. Pearson, 2015 (2015.306) 

House Model, 300 BCE–300 CE 
Nayarit, Mexico 
Ceramic and pigment, H. 12 in. (30.3 cm) 
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 (1979.206.359)

Villiage Scene, 300 BCE–300 CE 
Nayarit, Mexico 
Ceramic and pigment, H. 6 1/4 x Diam. 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm) 
From the Collection of Nina and Gordon Bunshaft, Bequest of Nina Bunshaft, 1994 (1995.63.4) 

Production Credits 
Digital Animation: Deepa Paulus 
3D Imaging: Heather Johnson, Deepa Paulus, Wilson Santiago  
Narrator: Laura Filloy Nadal, Curator, Arts of the Ancient Americas 

Curatorial: 
Patricia Sarro, Consultant, Michael C. Rockefeller Wing  
Joanne Pillsbury, Andrall E. Pearson Curator, Arts of the Ancient Americas 
Laura Filloy Nadal, Curator, Arts of the Ancient Americas 
Hugo C. Ikehara-Tsukayama, Senior Research Associate, Michael C. Rockefeller Wing 
Max Alegria, Adrienne Arsht Intern, Michael C. Rockefeller Wing 

Chief Digital Officer: Douglas Hegley 
Executive Producer: Sarah Wambold 
Managing Producer: Mandy Kritzeck 
Studio Manager: Erin Stella  
Sound Recordist: Heidi Lorenz 

Special thanks to Joanne P. Pearson; Alisa LaGamma, Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator in Charge, Michael C. Rockefeller Wing; Scott Geffert, General Manager, Imaging; Dawn Kriss, Conservator; Doris Zhao, Project Manager, Michael C. Rockefeller Wing; Gerardo Gutiérrez, Mary Pye, Xóchitl Medina 

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