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THBEarly Moche Gilt Copper Mask w/ Dangling Ornaments
Lot 18a
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$11,000 - $16,500
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Bid Increments
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Oct 15, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-10-15 12:00:00
2020-10-15 12:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Art of the Americas - Ancient to Present
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/art-of-the-americas---ancient-to-present-5840
Ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the Americas - Pre-Columbian, Native American, Northwest Coast, Spanish Colonial, more. All legally acquired, all legal to sell, all guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Convenient in-house shipping! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the Americas - Pre-Columbian, Native American, Northwest Coast, Spanish Colonial, more. All legally acquired, all legal to sell, all guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Convenient in-house shipping! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (127)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Loma Negra region, Moche culture, ca. 500 to 100 BCE. A gilt copper funerary face mask adorned with dangling ornaments. The thin metal sheet is roughly rectangular in shape - narrower at the neck with a slightly curved top edge - to follow the contour of a brow. At the center of the visage is a rolled gilt copper sheet creating a tubular nose with flaps at the top and bottom openings. The eyes and mouth are hammered from the backside to create an embossed texture. Along the peripheries are six flat ornaments that are the same shape as the mask, hanging freely on thin coiled wires that are pierced through the mask. The Moche cultures were masters of gold smithery and created stunning works. The eyes are not cut out, meaning this mask was meant for the deceased and not for living people to wear. Size: 6.8" W x 7.5" H (17.3 cm x 19 cm); 8.5" H (21.6 cm) on included custom stand.
Metal sheets needed to be heated and cooled, a process called annealing, to change the rigidity of the metal and make it pliable to shape. A special brazier and many workers would be needed to stoke the fire and hammer the sheet to the desired thickness, and such metalwork would be costly to commission. Masks for the lower society were comprised of wood, ceramic, or cloth, while those belonging to the most respected and powerful were made of copper, gold, and/or silver. These masks were for funerary purposes, to cover the face of the deceased.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950s to 1960s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#159624Small fissure on bottom left side. Expected surface wear with chipping and fading of gilt commensurate with age. Old inventory labels on backside. Areas of green patina!Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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