Knife

Item number Sf593 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

A slightly flaring blade with central hole at the blunt end. One side has incised design of two interlocking, snake-like figures, each with a head on each end. Traces of a thin layer of gilding appear on one side near the hole.

History Of Use

May be a ceremonial knife that was suspended or carried by a lanyard like ones illustrated on Moche ceramics. A narrower knife with similar hole and incising (collier) can be iconographically associated with Moche-Vicus themes. The double-headed serpent on this knife has the Vicus stylistic feature of surrounding the figure with a halo of short dashes (Lumbreras).