organization of the space, generally following geography. Upon entering the galleries from those of the ancient Mediterranean, visitors are greeted with featured objects in freestanding cases, which are positioned adjacent to wall cases that present additional art from the same geographic region. On one side, displays begin in the far north, with selections of art from the Alaskan Arctic. The other side begins in the south, with selections of art from lower South America, including the ancient arts of the Amazon basin and the Chilean Andes. Moving into the gallery, the organization continues along each side, culminating at the center of the Americas in the rear gallery, where Princeton’s exceptional holdings of art from ancient Mesoamerica reside. Throughout, only select artworks from each culture and period are presented. The nearly seventyfi ve percent reduction in the number of objects on display offers signifi cantly more space for didactic accompaniment—in fact, every object is addressed to some degree by a descriptive label—and the result is a dramatically different aesthetic experience from what existed previously. Thanks to the complete replacement of the gallery lighting system with new LED lighting, each object is now illuminated to highlight its visual qualities. The new design was developed with the future always in mind. We are keen to regularly provide new encounters in the space through periodic rotation of works in the collection, select loans, and new acquisitions. For the initial installation, numerous objects from private collections and two regional museums— the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Philadelphia Museum of Art—join Princeton’s holdings. The works selected for loan are meant to complement the Museum’s own collection with objects otherwise underrepresented. From the University of Pennsylvania, for example, we have borrowed a selection of ancient Amazonian ceramics, as well as a very fi ne cast gold fi gural vessel of the Quimbaya culture of ancient Colombia (fi g. 4). The Philadelphia Museum of Art has graciously lent three monumental works, two from Teotihuacan and the other of imperial Aztec manufacture, which offer a scale of object similarly underrepresented in the Princeton University Art Museum. The new installation is intended to be a dynamic and engaging space, one in which the public and students alike can learn, explore, and enjoy. While a great deal of thought went into the initial refurbishment, we see FIG. 9 (CI-DESSUS) : Masque. Aztèque, Mexique central (trouvé dans la région méridionale d’Oaxaca). 1400-1520 apr. J.-C. Bois avec traces de plâtre, de feuilles d’or et d’hématite. H. : 20,2 cm. Princeton University Art Museum, don de Mme Gerard B. Lambert, inv. y1970-111. Photo : Bruce M. White. FIG. 10 (CI-CONTRE) : Figure représentant un adulte et un jeune assis. Xochipala, Guerrero, Mexique. 400 av- J.-C.- 200 apr. J.-C. Terre cuite rouge-brune. H. : 13,5 et 11 cm. Princeton University Art, don de Gillett G. Griffi n en honneur à David W. Steadman (promotion 1969), inv. y1972-38, 39. Photo : Bruce M. White. 94 FIG. 11 (CI-DESSUS) : Personnage agenouillé. Olmèque, côte du Golfe, Veracruz, Mexique. 900- 500 av. J.-C. Pierre et pigments rouges. H. : 17,6 cm. Princeton University Art Museum, acquisition du musée, don par échange de Mme Gerard B. Lambert, inv. y1976-21. Photo : Bruce M. White. Musée à la Une
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