Knife Item Number: Sf537 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
A flaring cast metal blade with a three part handle composed of two profile birds sharing a single tail. The diamond shaped tail has a round hole in it. Incised lines follow the structure of the handle design. The blade and handle are slightly asymmetrical. The casting is rough and there is a gap in the back of one bird head.
History Of Use
Cast copper knives of this type are common to both Vicus (Disselhoff) and Moche cultures (Donnan). Modelled ceramics frequently show such knives used in ritual decapitation (Moser). The hole in the handle is probably for suspending it by a cord from the body of the user (Jones).
Narrative
Vicus or Moche Style, Early Intermediate Period; 0-200 C.E.
Item History
What
- Name
- Knife
- Identification Number
- Sf537
- Type of Item
- knife
- Material
- copper metal
- Manufacturing Technique
- cast
- Overall
- height 0.8 cm, width 6.1 cm, depth 7.1 cm
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Peru
When
- Creation Date
- during 200
- Collection Date
- between 1949 and 1966
- Ownership Date
- before May 4, 1981
- Acquisition Date
- on May 4, 1981
Other
- Item Classes
- metalwork
- Condition
- poor
- Accession Number
- 0711/0040