Ornament Item Number: Sf607 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
A sheet metal fragment of a zoomorphic head with embossed details. The head has a large protruding tongue and forward tilting crest or ear on top of the head. The mouth is wide open and the eye is tear-drop in shape. Raised dots outline the head.
History Of Use
May be a fragment from a headdress or standard like the one illustrated in Moseley (p.33). The tear-drop eye on the zoomorphic and humanoid figures is characteristic of Lambayeque style of the far north coast. This feature of Lambayeque Style is frequently found mixed with other features of the Chimu Style.
Narrative
Lambayeque or Early Chimu Style, Middle Horizon; 600-1000 C.E.
Iconographic Meaning
Appears to be the head of a feline-serpent. This type is usually joined to a sinuous body (Moseley; Emmerich), but the ear and head shape have a feline aspect. The feline-serpent appears in many contexts including that of the double-headed 'sky' serpent which arches across the heavens.
Item History
What
- Name
- Ornament
- Identification Number
- Sf607
- Type of Item
- ornament
- Material
- gold metal ? and copper metal
- Manufacturing Technique
- hammered, embossed and gilded
- Overall
- height 0.2 cm, width 2.7 cm, depth 4.7 cm
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Peru
When
- Creation Date
- between 600 and 1000
- 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
- 0711/0109