The members of the almost centenary Cultural Corporation of America were able to visit the reserve deposit of the National Museum, MUNA, thanks to the authorization provided to us by the Vice Minister of Culture, Romina Muñoz, who accompanied us at the event, together with the personnel assigned to the entity. Precautions are understood in admission and entry, given that they guard assets of unquantifiable value.
What was seen far exceeded all expectations. One morning is not enough to get a fairly informed idea of these collections that bring together several tens of thousands of objects, but their richness is such that this tiny tasting leaves a feeling of beneficial satiety and longing for a new opportunity.
We were able to visit only two collections, the first is the bibliographic collection, which keeps the libraries of intellectuals, such as Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño, Carlos Manuel Larrea and Isaac J. Barrera, among others. To celebrate Book Day, chosen due to the coincidence of the deaths on the same date of Inca Garcilaso, Cervantes and Shakespeare, they had set up an exhibition that opened with centenary copies of the works of these three giants.
Then we saw the first Ecuadorian book, published in Hambati (sic), and what is probably the oldest in Ecuador. And atlases, princely editions, incunabula mined with gold leaf, volumes of historical value, even precious object books published in this century. Dangerous visit for this bibliomaniac, on the verge of a heart attack among the exuberant shelves!
The spectacular archaeological background followed.
Fifty thousand pieces, 13,000 years of history. Ecuadorian prehistoric ceramics always fill me with pride, such well-crafted things, such creativity, such intelligence, works that demonstrate an exquisite culture, full of ideas and originality. Without a doubt, that is where the excellence of national plastic arts comes from. The metals were the highlight, the “sun” of La Tolita shone there. They said that it had been stolen, that it was sold to pay debt, lies, pure bad faith, there it is, splendid, next to the so disturbing mask with platinum eyes. I met them when they were exhibited at the Central Bank, but seeing them at such a close distance makes you feel frightened.
Of course, it is unfortunate that this ocean of culture and memory is in an almost hermetic reserve, out of sight of its owners, who are all Ecuadorians. Decades of mistakes and negligence in politics… I was going to say in “cultural politics”, such a thing has not existed. But, as Undersecretary Muñoz informed us, the current Government has begun the process to put an end to this unbearable situation and is preparing to take a big step forward with the construction of the National Museum’s own headquarters, which will be built with the volume and professionalism that a work of this magnitude demands. We must not listen to the eternally miserable people who will begin to whine saying “that a lot is being spent on culture.” We must preserve with dignity the cultural assets that constitute the moral reserve of the nation, moral being understood in the sense of the set of the faculties of the spirit. Any prosperity will be meaningless if we do not know who we are. (EITHER)
