Plaque Item Number: Sf612 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
A roughly circular and slightly convex plaque with the appearance of a frontal view of a simplified animal head with ears at the top. Both ears are broken off, however one ear (b) remains. There are two holes at the outer edge. There is a horizontal serrated cut in the centre of the plaque representing teeth, and above it are two convex circles with a raised oval in between, 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 probabaly 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
- Sf612 a-b
- Type of Item
- plaque
- Material
- copper metal, gold metal and silver metal ?
- Manufacturing Technique
- hammered, cut, depletion gilded and embossed
- Overall
- height 7.0 cm, width 7.8 cm, depth 0.4 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
- 0711/0114 a-b