Aztecs in the Empire City: “The People without History” in The Met

Abstract

categorize, and separate objects into collections— actions that are at the heart of institutional identity formation. These processes are informed by cultural and historical events, and changing understandings and belief systems across an array of fields. In turn, museums prompt the shifting of public and academic perceptions of times, places, and peoples. How collections are classified touches on histories of taste and the formation of canons, but also notions of history. Some of the complexities of these processes can be seen through the lens of a specific collecting area— ancient American art—and the ongoing goals and objectives of what has often been referred to as an “encyclopedic” museum. Aztecs in the Empire City: “The People without History” in The Met