Virtual tour

Meso-America

Chichen Itza

Art Deco designers drew on the art of the Maya and Aztecs to create new architectural and decorative forms. To North and South Americans, in particular, this art seemed to represent indigenous traditions, free of European influences. It offered bold and unadulterated sources for a repertoire of motifs suited to modern tastes and needs.

Ancient ziggurats found an echo in the stepping and setbacks of the great skyscrapers of New York and other American cities. Decorative motifs borrowed from Aztec and Mayan sources adorned cinemas, hotels and private houses, as well as jewellery and ceramics.

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