Arturo Jiménez Borja (1908–2000) was a Peruvian physician, ethnologist, painter and writer. He was born in Tacna on July 21, 1908, and died in Lima on January 13, 2000. He was a first order descendant of the last indigenous curaca in Tacna, Toribio Ara.
He devoted his studies to indigenous clothing, masks and musical instruments. He achieved the restoration of ancient monuments in areas such as Puruchuco, Pachacamac and Paramonga, building a museum in each of them. He was director of the museum site of Pachacamac (1956) and Director of the National Museum.
He donated his collection of musical instruments from Peru to the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. His collection of masks from all over Peru, the most comprehensive and most valuable, admired by friends and strangers, can now be seen very well maintained, in the Museum of Arts and Traditions of the Riva Aguero Institute at the Catholic Pontifical University in Peru.
He was murdered on January 13, 2000, in Lima.
Works
Jiménez published many works on ethnology, plus his work recounting Peruvian stories and legends.
Cuentos peruanos (1937) - Peruvian Tales
Leyendas del Perú (1941) - Legends of Peru
La creación del mundo (1962) - The creation of the world
Los toquis según Guamán Poma de Ayala (1941) - The toquis according to Guamán Poma de Ayala
Moche (1938)
Mate peruano (1948) - Peruvian Mate
Instrumentos musicales del Perú (1951) - Musical Instruments of Peru
La comida en el antiguo Perú y Puruchuco (1977) - Food in ancient Peru and Puruchuco