Along with 150 full-colour glossy illustrations of the terracotta, earthenware, stone, silver, and copper objects, a Pre-Columbian art lover and prestigious curator journey into a fine art collection, describing the rich cultural context and artistic merits of each work. On his part, the acclaimed author, explorer, and filmmaker Hugh Thomson gives a detailed, exciting narrative - based upon extensive research - of the role art played in the conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortes and of Peru by Francisco Pizarro. It is rare that a collector takes such a personal, descriptive part in publishing his treasure trove, but in this lavishly illustrated book, Stuart Handler describes why he gathered Pre-Columbian art, what attracted him to the individual pieces, and what artistic attributes make these objects outstanding works. Contents: The Collection and Patrimony by Stewart Handler; Introduction: Beginning the Journey, by Stewart Handler; Traveling with Cortes, by Hugh Thomson; Traveling with Pizarro, by Hugh Thomson; The Stuart Handler Collection; Index. AUTHORS: Hugh Thomson is an award-winning British writer and filmmaker as well as an acclaimed explorer. He has led research expeditions in Peru, exploring Inca settlements. Among his films: Indian Journeys, with William Dalrymple. His many books include: The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland (2001) and Tequila Oil: Getting Lost in Mexico (2009). Joanne Stuhr is a distinguished art historian and independent curator who works with museums and private collections throughout the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Stuhr’s books include Talking Birds, Plumed Serpents and Painted Women: Prehistoric Ceramics of Casas Grandes; Heaven, Hell, and the Places in Between: Latin American Folk Art from the Cecere Collection; Ritual Beauty: Art of the Ancient Americas; Pre-Columbian Inspiration in Mexican Silver Design; The Figure Examined in American and European Art of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Stuart Handler has been collecting art for forty-five years, building collections in the areas of American abstract expressionism, contemporary realism, Mexican folk art, Mexican festival masks, and Pre-Columbian art. Edward Parrinello is a renowned photographer of jewellery and tribal art. SELLING POINTS: . A stunning and unique way of presenting Pre-Columbian art to the public . A lavishly illustrated book where art and history meet in a passionate narrative . Full page/multiple colour illustrations - an almost three-dimensional experience 245 colour images