Peruvian art comes to So. Fla.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- They built one of the most famous empires in human history in Peru, and now a one-of-a-kind exhibit dedicated to Incan art is coming to South Florida.

Resourceful, crafty, sophisticated, stylish, fierce and ahead of their time among other things, the Wari, pre-Inca Lords of Peru, and their culture will be on display at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

Known as Peru's first empire, Wari artifacts resemble items we use today. From clothes to jewelry to beer containers, Cleveland Museum of Art curator Sue Bergh breaks it down. "We know that it's associated with these extremely powerful symbols of authority," said Bergh. "Everything old is new again. These are a lot like the contemporary gauges that you put through your ears. They required huge labor investments, huge resource investments, and they were instantly legible as extremely valuable garments."

It is a culture that you can recognize, and you don't need a time machine or a trip to Peru to do it. "Wari didn't come to public attention until the 1940s and 50s, so it's a relatively newly recognized culture," said Bergh.

The Wari exhibition will be at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale from this Sunday through May 19th.

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