Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Chimu culture, ca. 1100 o 1450 CE. An incredible feather and hair headdress with brilliant feathers and human hair, attached to the feathers via knotted interlacing cords, the hair set to the sides and left naturally black and dyed an orange color. The paradise tanager (Tangara chilensis) and blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) may have supplied the feathers for the crest. Colorful feathers were prized materials in Andean cultures and used by the elite for clothing and ornaments. Avian motifs and the use of feathers were symbolic in Andean cultures, for birds were sacred animals that could fly between worlds and were messengers for the gods. All is displayed in a museum quality acrylic case that demonstrates how this was worn. Wig headdresses have been found in association with mummy bundles of elite people and royalty, the feather and fibers p[reserved by the arid climate and burial practices. A spectacular and truly rare piece! Size: 10" Diameter x 9" H (25.4 cm x 22.9 cm); case: 15" L x 13" W x 25.5" H (38.1 cm x 33 cm x 64.8 cm)

For a similar example, please see the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston website, object number: 2001.996.

Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010

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#177483

  • Condition: Some fading and discoloration and bending to feathers. Overall excellent. Some active flaking to feathers, so we recommend handling as little as possible. Modern ribbon tied under the feathers. Displayed in custom museum quality acrylic case.

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March 9, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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