Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. A fine pair of tweezers skillfully made from a hammered sheet of 50.89% (equivalent to over 12 karat) gold folded in half. Slightly convex, each side presents in the shape of a Tumi featuring a rounded bottom with petite extended wings on each side and a thick neck that tapers to a top in the form of anthropomorphic head. The haunting visage exhibits a pair of heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes, a small, straight nose, prominent nasolabial folds, and a rectangular mouth with delineated teeth. The head is flanked by four vertically striped triangular embellishments, perhaps representing hair, as well as a pair of annular ear spools, while a strand of circles serving as a collar necklace graces the face's chin. The folded area above the head is tubular with two drill holes for suspension. Precious metal quality: 50.89% gold (equivalent to 12K+), 44.53% silver, 4% copper; Size: 2.625" W x 3.875" H (6.7 cm x 9.8 cm); 5.25" H (13.3 cm) on included custom stand; Weight: 24 grams.
The use of metal in Andean cultures is spectacular and scholars posit that thee metalworks were associated with ritual rather than solely utilitarian purposes. Tweezers like these were just some of the multitude of silver, gold, and bronze objects placed into elite Moche tombs. Gold items, like this example, were reserved for the tombs of nobility.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-The Old Curiosity Cabinet, Ian Arundel collection, Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA, collected 1950 to 1970 (The Old Curiosity Cabinet was the meeting place of all the old collectors in the 1950s and 1960s.)
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#161528
Condition
Collection label on interior. Expected light surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent