Superb Sican Lambayeque Copper Funerary Mask w/ Wings

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Ancient | Asian | Ethno | Native American Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 1, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-06-01 10:00:00 2023-06-01 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Ancient | Asian | Ethno | Native American Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-asian-ethno-native-american-art-12905
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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, north coast of Peru, late Moche / Sican Lambayeque culture, ca. 9th to 11th century CE. An incredible mask made of hammered copper, with two huge copper projections that rise, similar to horns but actually representing plumes or wings, from the top of the head. Trapezoidal copper sheet danglers hang from the "wings" and face. White pigment covers much of the face, leaving the area around the eyes and below the nose a green copper patina color- and the eyes are stytlistically upturned. These slanting eyes were also a reference to wings and the mythological first king, Naylamp, who was said to have grown wings and flown away after his death. This mask was made to adorn the body of a deceased elite member of the Sican society - gold was for lords, silver for noble women, and copper for wealthy commoners. Size w/ wings: 29" L (73.7 cm); 17" H (43.2 cm) on included custom stand; face panel: 14" W x 10.5" H (35.6 cm x 26.7 cm)
  
  Naymlap, the traditional founder of the Lambayeque dynasty, who came from the south by sea and colonized the region before, it was said, sprouting wings and flying off into the sunset in a dramatic display of his magical powers. He seems to have been worshipped by his descendants, and silver and gold vessels, weapons, and jewelry are all adorned with his likeness. The tips of the wings also resemble abstract heads in profile with a single repousse eye in the center. This mask was made to adorn the body of a deceased elite member of the Sican society - gold and silver were reserved for royalty, and copper for the nobility. Sican elites were patrons of workshops that made fine metal objects like this one, and they took their wealth with them when they died. Buried in mounds, they would be entombed in high style. It is difficult to imagine just how much wealth each individual was buried with - for example, one of the few controlled excavations of a high status Sican tomb, archaeologists found 1.2 tons of grave goods inside of a 3 meter square shaft tomb that also contained a man, aged 40 to 50 alongside four sacrificial victims, two women and two children. This included vast quantities of gold, silver, and copper artifacts.
  
  Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010
  
  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.
  
  #177497

  Condition

  Professionally repaired and restored. Infill along breaklines over left eye on mask and on wings. Wings were not taken off stand and are not fully assessed. Missing some dangling ornamnets. Minor tears and indendations. Green patina and mineral encrustations as shown, and remains of textile fragments on verso of mask panel.
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