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Pumapungo Museum - INTI Presidential Hall, Cuenca, Ecuador

The INTI Presidential Hall, unveiled during the 29th Ibero-American Summit in Cuenca in November 2024, stands as a radiant tribute to Ecuador’s cultural richness.

Hosted within the Pumapungo Museum—a cornerstone of ethnographic and archaeological heritage—the exhibition was curated to impress global dignitaries with the depth and diversity of Ecuadorian identity. Drawing from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage’s reserves, the hall assembled emblematic artifacts that span centuries and civilizations, offering a visual and symbolic narrative of Ecuador’s megadiverse legacy.

Among the standout pieces are the Tolita Golden Sun, a gleaming relic from the ancient Tolita culture that evokes solar worship and divine authority, and the chumbis—vibrant woven sashes of the Cañari people—each thread a testament to ancestral craftsmanship. The rhythmic Tigua drums, ceremonial aryballos, and feather art speak to the spiritual and festive dimensions of indigenous life, while the Manteña chairs and staffs of command reflect the ceremonial gravitas of leadership. These objects transcend their material form, becoming hierophanies—sacred manifestations of power and tradition—imbued with meaning that bridges past and present.

The INTI Hall doesn’t merely display artifacts; it stages a celebration of Ecuadorian creativity and resilience. By elevating instruments of daily life and governance into symbols of sacred expression, the exhibition affirms the role of art in shaping collective memory and identity. It’s a space where diplomacy meets heritage, inviting the world to witness how Ecuador’s cultural mosaic continues to inspire reverence, pride, and unity. Through this hall, Ecuador positions itself not just as a steward of biodiversity, but as a vibrant cultural beacon in the global arena.

INTI Presidential Hall

«The "Inti" Presidential Hall was presented during the 29th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, held at the end of November 2024 in Cuenca. This exhibition brings together representative elements from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage's reserves and showcases our vast cultural diversity to the world, a reflection of the great wealth of this megadiverse Ecuador. These are symbols of Ecuadorian culture, such as the Tolita Golden Sun, the chumbis or Cañari sashes, Tigua drums, aryballos, feather art, Manteña chairs, and staffs of command, expressions of the creative capacity of the people and their people. Some of them are examples of instruments of command and leadership, transformed into hierophanies: sacred manifestations of power. This is how Ecuadorian arts celebrate cultural identity!»


Command staffs
«In the Ecuadorian Andes or highlands, staffs of leadership symbolize authority and leadership, especially in indigenous communities. They represent the power of leaders to guide and protect their people. The staff and its power are passed from one leader to another in a succession of leaders. Decorated with traditional motifs, they are inherited from generation to generation, reinforcing their legitimacy. In rituals, staffs connect the leader with Ta Pochamama and the ancestors, emphasizing their role as mediator between the community and spiritual forces.»


Manteña Chairs of Power
«Manteño chairs are one of the most representative symbols of the Manteño-Huancavilca culture (500-1534 CE) on the Ecuadorian coast. Used in ceremonies and festivities, they symbolize a place of honor and power for the community's leaders and elders, as well as their connection to the spiritual world. Their ancient craftsmanship employs advanced stone carving techniques, and they are decorated with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures, reinforcing their symbolic, ritual, and identity value.»


Tigua drums
«The painting tradition of Tigua, an ancestral heritage of the Quichuas of Cotopaxi, reflects the myths, legends, rituals, and worldview of their people. It originated on the festive and polychromatic drums of Corpus Christi and is now expressed on various surfaces and objects. The art form is a unique manifestation of its kind, deeply rooted in the Andean worldview.»


Aribalo
«Since pre-Hispanic times, their role was both symbolic and practical. Aribalos have symbolized abundance, they were used to ferment chicha, a beverage offered to deities to promote fertility. Additionally, these objects played a role in funerary rites, reinforcing the belief in life after death. »


Featherwork
«Featherwork is masterfully crafted by the peoples and nationalities of the Amazon. For these cultures, birds are connections to their deities and protagonists of legends that recount the origins of their peoples and their link between the earth and the cosmos. Feather crowns are considered symbols of authority.»


Cañari belts
«Various historical sources indicate that weaving was considered a "high art" with magical-religious purposes, symbolizing life through the interweaving of threads to create forms. These unique pieces, characterized by their positive - negative technique, serve as protection against negative energies, cinch the waist, and give support to different garments, while also fulfilling decorative, ceremonial, and ritual functions. They represent an iconographic record that stands out for its pre-Columbian symbolism and syncretic influences over time.»


The Golden Sun of La Tolita
«A funerary mask belonging to the La Tolita - Tumaco culture (600 BCE - 400 CE), crafted in 24-carat gold and alloys with copper end platinum. It features symbolic elements for pre-Columbian cultures, such as rays in the shape of a serpent, as well as representations of Andean totemic animals in the headdress end parts of the face. It was found in Mongoya, Manabi, in the 1980s and acquired by Max Konanz, who sold it to the Central Bank of Ecuador in 1960. The institution designated it as its symbol in 1976. With the dissemination of its image, is achieved the status of a national emblem end is known as “El Sol de La Tolita.”»


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Location

Location: Calle Larga 182, Cuenca 010107, Ecuador