Menu
EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBMoche 18K Gold Tumi Crown, Ear Ornaments, & Bead Strand
Lot 142b
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:
$150,000 - $200,000
Absentee vs Live bid
Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $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
Jun 4, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-06-04 10:00:00
2020-06-04 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-5185
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (393)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, ca. 100 to 700 CE. An impressive ensemble of high karat gold (~18K) wearable art created for a person of import. First is a magnificent gold tumi crown of a characteristic crescent shape - quite heavy and large. Archaeological studies have shown that the Moche were governed by warrior-priest rulers and their societies included metalsmiths, farmers, weavers, potters, and fishermen. We know from examples of Moche pottery that these rulers oftentimes wore tumi/crescent shaped crowns like this example. Next, we have a pair of matching gold ear flares that are also quite sizeable. Finally, a strand of 10 large gold spheres alternating with 9 smaller silver spheres - each with pinhole perforations in order to string. This majestic trio comes with a plexiglass dust cover and base. Size: tumi crown 16" W x 13.5" H (40.6 cm x 34.3 cm); ear ornaments.5" W x 4.5" H (11.4 cm x 11.4 cm) - 196.8 g for both; gold balls 2.5" diameter (6.4 cm); silver balls 1.25" diameter (3.2 cm); case 35" W x 21" H (88.9 cm x 53.3 cm)
It should be said that any goldwork from the Moche is exceedingly rare, as their treasures were targeted by plunderers during Colonial times. Heidi King of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York offers the following explanation in "The Art of Precolumbian Gold": "The Mochica or Moche as they are also known, built their capital in the dry, coastal valley of Moche, where the main construction was the Huaca del Sol, the so-called Pyramid of the Sun, the largest adobe structure built in Pre-Columbian South America. The great pyramid, made of over 143 million adobe bricks, was clearly visible and easily accessible during Colonial times, and it received extraordinary attentions from early treasure hunters (Bray this volume). As a result of such attentions, little of the wealth in precious metals that the Moche peoples are believed to have possessed remains in its ancient form today. Those works that do remain are all the more important because of their rarity." (The Art of Precolumbian Gold: The Jan Mitchell Collection" edited by Julie Jones. Boston: Little Brown & Company, 1985, p. 212)
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Ian Arundel Collection , Old Curiosity Shop, Melrose Avenue , Los Angeles , California, USA, collected 1960 to 1970
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.
#155999Double perforations at center of tumi crown presumably for attachment. Ear ornaments show minor indentations but their forms are generally very well preserved. Minor indentations to spherical beads commensurate with age. It is not possible to weigh the tumi headdress as it is attached to a backing (this said it is very heavy - probably 100s of grams). Also not possible to weigh the gold and silver balls as they are attached to the display backing and would be precarious to remove.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
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.
-
- Buyer's Premium
