In the heart of Asunción, in the neighbourhood of San Jorge, only a few kilometres from the city’s most popular shopping malls, is the Museum of Clay (Museo del Barro). The museum is home to one of the things Paraguay is most known for: clay work. From dishware to decorative pieces, this museum tells the story of Latin America and Paraguay through clay.
What started as a simple project in 1972 has become cultural patrimony today. Asunción’s Museum of Clay is widely known in creative circles around the world. The museum is a space for the expression of culture.
Inside the Museum of Clay
The museum divides its exhibitions into three collections: clay work, indigenous works, and contemporary Paraguayan art. Some rooms in the museum take the names of the founders, Olga Blinder and Carlos Colombino.
The clay collection holds over 300 pieces of pre-Columbian ceramics. Ranging from the 17th century to the present, items of wood, fabric, and metal are also on display.
A wide range of ethnic groups’ works from across Paraguay are represented in the indigenous works collection. Around 1,700 pieces are on display. The collection features baskets, masks, and featherwork.
The final collection houses contemporary artists from across Paraguay and Latin America. Approximately 3,000 works are exhibited. Works by the founders of Asunción’s Museum of Clay are also on display. The museum often works with a rotating collection of works, available to check on their website.
History of the museum
In 1972, the founders of the museum, Olga Blinder y Carlos Colombino, curated a mobile collection of works named Circulating Collection (Colección Circulante). The founders exhibited drawings and engravings in institutions throughout the country. As the founders collected other items such as pottery, paintings, and sculptures, they found a permanent exhibition location.
The construction of the museum prototype took place in San Lorenzo in 1980, only 15 kilometres from Asunción. In 1983, the space established itself in the capital at the Centre of Visual Arts (Centro de Artes Visuales, or CAV). After multiple renovations, the institution completed the museum in its present form in 1995.
Throughout the years, collections from various artists have been in rotation. The museum invites visitors to learn about the history of art in Paraguay in a carefully crafted space.
Visit the museum!
The Museum of Clay is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 14:00 to 20:00. Weekday visits cost ₲50,000 (approx. US$7.50), and weekend visits are free. Guided tours are available in Spanish and English at higher prices.
The museum is located on Avda. Grabadores del Kabichu’i 2716, phone number: +595 993360033. More information on the Museum of Clay’s website.
If you are looking to explore football, science, railways, economics, Freemasonry, chess, diocesan history, or mythology, you will find a museum in Asunción dedicated to each of these fascinating worlds, many of which open their doors during special museum nights.
