Material: gold alloy, silver

Size: 3 7/16 x 5 1/2 inches

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First, take a minute or two to look closely at the images above. Write down your reaction to this object--what details do you notice? Why did you pick this object for your response paper? Make notes on things that you notice about it. Also, write down any questions you have about it--what kinds of things would you want to know about this object? Remember the questions we ask in class. You don't need to have answers for these questions yet, but keep them in your notes.

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Once you have some questions written down, try to answer them by reading the information I've provided below about this object and its context.​

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What do we know about this object?​

 

The Moche were among the Andes’ most inventive metalsmiths, and they developed many complex techniques for joining and enriching the surfaces of metals, which they usually worked by hammering rather than casting. The gold-and-silver ornaments were made by first joining gold and silver sheets through heating and hammering. Then came the relief decoration, followed by the selective removal of metal along the joins. Finally, the ornament was trimmed and polished. The museum website does not say what material was used for the eyes of the various figures.

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A crucial element of Moche royal regalia was the nose ornament, whose imagery varies from benign to predatory. Regalia created from such precious materials were essential features of elite burials in the ancient Americas. This regalia, which included headdresses, earspools, nose ornaments, pectorals, and bracelets, were thought to identify the status of the interred in the afterlife. Nose ornaments, suspended from the nasal septum and often covering the mouth and lower face, were worn by high-ranking individuals in the Andes and were likely made to exemplify the power and position of the wearer both in life and in death. This nose ornament includes the mythological figure known as the Decapitator, who we also encountered in class in the tomb of the Lord of Sipan. Note also the special knife held by the Decapitator--similar to the sacrificial knife from the recorded lecture I posted Monday. These types of nose ornaments were often buried with the deceased, although the Cleveland Museum, which owns this piece, does not state whether it came from a tomb. It is entirely possible this piece was looted and illegally sold on the art market, which unfortunately has happened with a huge proportion of the material culture from Peru.

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For more information about the Moche culture, see this link.

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Some things to consider in your response paper:​

• What was your response to this object? What drew your eye? What do you like about it, or dislike? You are encouraged to use first person (I/me) in your response paper. I want to know what you think.

• Consider the artistic details of this object carefully. What kinds of decisions did the artist make when they were creating this piece, and why? Use your art terminology. Don't forget to consider the different materials used, too.

• How do you interpret the various human or humanlike figures here? What kind of meaning would this object have had in a funeral procession, or placed in the tomb for all time?

• Who might have owned/used a piece like this? Also, consider how something like this would have been worn--on the nose, like a modern nosering. If you were meeting someone for the first time wearing something like this, what would you think? Would you even be able to see all these details? How does this fit into cross-cultural traditions of body piercing (a tradition which remains quite popular today!)?