Expeditions of Tony Halik and Elżbieta Dzikowska

The first floor is dedicated to the joint expeditions of Tony Halik and Elżbieta Dzikowska, mainly to Mexico and Guatemala. They were fascinated by the scope and achievements of pre-Columbian civilizations, as well as the crafts of contemporary ethnic groups living in the territory of the ancient Mesoamerica, especially, the Maya culture. The room is filled with multi-coloured fabrics (mainly women’s garments, so-called huipils) originating from various villages in Guatemala, as well as several Mexican pieces. Women’s outfits are particularly fascinating, due to the pre-Columbian pedigree recognisable in their cuts, as well as their ornamental patterns. However, the most rare objects of this section of the exhibition are included in the pre-Columbian collection of nine ceramic figures of the so-called Western Mexican cultures (which developed between 200 BC and 800 AD) which originated from Jalisco and Colima, two Mexican states.