Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. A beautiful, large nose ring made from 14 karat gold. The ring is in the form of a crescent moon, hammered into shape and given five low mounds around its face. At the inside of the crescent, two thin gold wires fold down to form a border along the inside curve. The piece was made to be worn by inserting a folded end into each nostril, although, feeling its weight, that must have been fairly uncomfortable! Size: 2.5" W x 2.2" H (6.4 cm x 5.6 cm); 11.7 grams

The crescent form of this object mirrors that of many known Moche gold items - headdresses and pectorals also had the crescent form, and they derive much of their impressiveness from the wide reflective surface they present to the viewer. Beyond the purely aesthetic, this shape may also connect to beliefs about the moon - we know that among the later Inca, Si, the moon goddess, was thought to be more powerful than the sun because she could be seen both at night and during the day. This object probably belonged to a male, because in ancient Peru, gold seems to have been reserved for elite men, while silver was reserved for elite women.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection

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#125076

  • Condition: Slight deformation of form from bending; old accession number written in black pen on the back. Small tear in the gold surface only visible on the back.

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July 11, 2017 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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