Chimu Funerary Mask on board Peru 11 1/2\" x 6\" gold toned embossed metal
![Chimu Funerary Mask on board Peru 11 1/2\](img-large/g/4WoAAOSwKVFZlZgA/s-l1600/Chimu-Funerary-Mask-on-board-Peru-11-1-2-x-6-gold-.jpg "Chimu Funerary Mask on board Peru 11 1/2\")
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Chimu Funerary Mask on board Peru 11 1/2\" x 6\" gold toned embossed metal:
$449.00
This is truly a one of a kind work of art. The centerpiece is the Chimu Death Mask that would accompany the spirit to the great beyond. It is 11 1/2\" wide and 6\" tall.
TheChimú culturewas centered onChimorwith thecapital cityofChan Chan, a large adobe city in theMoche Valleyof present-dayTrujillo, Peru. The culture arose about 900. TheInca emperorTopa Inca Yupanquiled a campaign which conquered the Chimú around 1470.
This was just fifty years before the arrival of the Spanish in the region. Consequently, Spanish chroniclers were able to record accounts of Chimú culture from individuals who had lived before the Inca conquest. Similarly, archaeological evidence suggest Chimor grew out of the remnants of theMoche culture; early Chimú pottery had some resemblance to that of the Moche. Their ceramics are all black, and their work in precious metals is very detailed and intricate.
The Chimú resided on the north coast ofPeru: \"It consists of a narrow strip of desert, 20 to 100 miles wide, between the Pacific and the western slopes of the Andes, crossed here and there by short rivers which start in the rainier mountains and provide a series of green and fertile oases.\"The valley plains are very flat and well-suited to irrigation, which is probably as old as agriculture here. Fishing was also very important and was almost considered as important as agriculture.[3]
The Chimú were known to have worshipped themoonand it is believed they considered it more powerful than thesun, which was preferred by the Inca Empire. Offerings played an important role in religious rites. A common object for offerings, as well as one used by artisans, was the shell of theSpondylusshellfish, which live only in the warm coastal waters off present-dayEcuador. It was associated with the sea, rainfall, and fertility.Spondylusshells were also highly valued and traded by the Chimú people.
The Chimú are best known for their distinctive monochromatic pottery and fine metal working ofcopper,gold,silver,bronze, andtumbaga(copper and gold). The pottery is often in the shape of a creature, or has a human figure sitting or standing on acuboidbottle. The shiny black finish of most Chimú pottery was achieved by firing the pottery at high temperatures in a closedkiln, which preventedoxygenfrom reacting with theclay.
This mask appears to be made of gold toned metal. It is symmetrical. The mask is divided into threesections, a plain central part with facial features and two decorative parts on either side. There are four birds circling the face and the cheeks have beautiful relief. There is some denting to the nose. This is a burial mask from the Chimu people of ancient Peru. The Chimu believed, like the ancientEgyptians, that there was a life after death. Therefore, when someone died, the body wasmummified and buried in a special room which was filled with tools, pieces of pottery and otherspecial objects. The body was wrapped in special cloths and sometimes topped with a wooden orcloth head that was covered with a gold mask like this one. Because the climate was so dry, themummies and their coverings were very well-preserved. This mask is an example of the kind ofartifact or object that an archaeologist might find in a burial site.
The ancient Peruvian people were very skilled in metalwork. They used copper, silver and goldwhich were mined locally to make jewelry, vases, and to decorate objects and even sides ofbuildings. Often, the metalworkers combined several kinds of metal by heating furnaces to very hottemperatures (over 1000 degrees F.) and melting the different metals together. Then, they wouldhammer the metal to flatten it and they would heat it again. The process would be repeated severaltimes and then special coatings made of soil and salt would be used on the mask which wouldresult in a smooth and shiny gold surface.
Patterns were hammered into the mask with a stone tool in a process called \"embossing.\" On thismask, the mouth is a very straight line and the eyes are teardrop shapes, which is characteristic ofthe art of the Chimu people. The circular shapes at the bottom of either side of the mask are earplugs and correspond to the large ear ornaments that were worn by the Chimu people. Many goldmasks like this one have traces of paint on them. If you look closely at this one, you can see sometraces of red that may have been its original paint color.
If there are ers familiar with this artist, please let me know. It is incredibly beautiful! Thanks!
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Chimu Funerary Mask on board Peru 11 1/2\" x 6\" gold toned embossed metal:
$449.00