Plaque Item Number: Sf611 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
A roughly circular plaque with two protuberances. Has the appearance of a frontal view of a simplified animal head with ears at the top. Slightly convex with a gilded surface. There are four holes at the outer edge, relatively equally-spaced apart. Both ears are missing. There is a horizontal, serrated cut in the centre of the plaque, representing teeth. Above this are two repousse circles with a repousse oval between them, representing eyes and a nose.
History Of Use
The holes around the edge suggest this plaque was made for attaching to a backing, perhaps a cloth one.
Narrative
Pre-inca, before 1476 C.E.
Iconographic Meaning
The serrated cut suggests a fanged mouth. Coupled with the raised eyes, nose and upright ears, the rudimentary face can probably be interpreted as feline. The fanged feline attribute is shared by the most frequently represented and probably most powerful deity of the north coast.
Item History
What
- Name
- Plaque
- Identification Number
- Sf611
- Type of Item
- plaque
- Material
- copper metal, gold metal and silver metal ?
- Manufacturing Technique
- hammered, cut, depletion gilded and embossed
- Overall
- height 1.0 cm, width 8.1 cm, depth 7.6 cm
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Peru
When
- Creation Date
- before 1476
- 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
- 0711/0113