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 A visit to the Museo de Antropología de Xalapa (MAX) is a great day activity if you are traveling through central Veracruz. The museum, of international renown, has over 2,500 items on display from the Olmec, Totonaca and Huaxtec cultures, as well as other indigenous groups that form the rich heritage of what is now Veracruz.
The building and grounds themselves are a pleasure to walk through. Designed by Edward, Durell and Stone of New York, the complex has received landscape architecture awards from both the U.S. and Mexico. The museum’s floor plan is laid out as a long corridor, designed to recall the narrow shape of the state of Veracruz. Additionally, the windows and exterior of the museum are patterned after a phenomenon found at the archaeological site of El Tajin; stones and buildings there were carved with consistent square pits over their surfaces. Most impressive at MAX is their collection of Olmec art and sculpture, undoubtedly the largest grouping at any one museum. Upon walking into the lobby, the guest is greeted by one of the most impressive and well-preserved of the large Olmec heads, discovered at the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan site. This sculpture is one of 7 at the museum, all of which are fascinating and mysterious, if for their sheer size alone. The intriguing Olmec art accounts for almost a third of the objects on display, including stunning jade masks, jade axe heads, and objects carved of volcanic rock. Moving through the exhibits, one of the great pleasures of the museum are the three covered, sunny patios, teeming with lush tropical vegetation and dotted with relics of Veracruz’s pre-colonial past. The patios feature large relief stones and sculptures, primarily from the Olmec period, presented in an open-air setting alive with local floral. The museum’s exhibits progress chronologically from the Olmecs, the “mother” civilization of the majority of Mexico’s native peoples, through the cultures of central Veracruz, to the Huaxtec culture room. The methods of art and architecture used among these peoples are impressive. The sculpture and pyramid building are the most well-known, but the museum offers examples of a myriad of other interesting techniques as well. Pre-hispanic cultures were masters of carving in hard surfaces such as jade and precious stones. Additionally, native artisans painted complex murals depicting daily life and religious beliefs. The museum has many wonderful examples of intricate moulds used to make children’s toys, detailed yet decorative stamps, and life-size ceramic figures of women who died during childbirth and warriors commemorated for their heroic duties in battles. A worthwhile stop for the traveler visiting Veracruz, the Museum of Anthropology of Xalapa is just a quick taxi ride from the city center. Hours and admission prices can be found on the museum’s website at http://www.uv.mx/max/. |
