Who created "Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs"?

Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs was created by Ica in 500–1400.

What medium is "Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs"?

Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs is Bone with pigment.

Is "Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs" in the public domain?

Yes, Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs

Q: When was "Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs" created?

This artwork was created 500–1400.

Ica

500–1400

Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs by Ica

Medium

Bone with pigment

Dimensions

14.1 × 2.4 cm (5 9/16 × 15/16 in.)

Classification

bone

Department

Arts of the Americas

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Accession Number

126424

Art Historical Context

This delicate balance-beam scale, crafted by an Ica artist between 500 and 1400 CE, exemplifies refined bone-working traditions of Peru’s south coast. Carved from a single piece of bone and accented with pigment, the slender 14-centimeter instrument features openwork bird and stepped motifs that transform a functional tool into a miniature work of art. Such scales were likely used to measure small quantities of valuable goods—perhaps metals, seeds, or pigments—reflecting the Ica people’s engagement in trade and precise measurement long before European contact. The cut-out designs reveal both ...

Balance-Beam Scale with Cut-Out Bird and Step Motifs

Send Feedback