Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chimu, ca. 1100 to 1470 CE. Two matching silver attachments with incised figures of birds surrounded by small disembodied bird heads. Each bird has long legs, a prominent tail, and a hooked beak; their heads are stylized diamond forms, as are their eyes. These may have belonged to an elite woman, as silver in this culture was associated with noblewomen. Custom stand included. Size of each: 3.4" W x 2.5" H (8.6 cm x 6.4 cm) (8.5 g); height on stand: 6" (15.2 cm)

From excavations of metalworking workshops at Chan Chan, the Chimu capital, it seems likely that Chimu artisans were specialized enough that an individual would take care of each process, so one person would be responsible for hammering while another was responsible for shaping, etc. This means that elites in the society - nobility and royalty - would have been driving a specialized economy with their demands for finery. Picture a member of the elite wearing a shirt covered in bird ornaments like this that flashed and jingled in the sunlight. It must have been a showy, magnificent sight!

Provenance: private German collection acquired before 2000

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#123627

  • Condition: Slight bending to form and wear at edges.

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June 8, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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