Ceremonial Knife (Tumi)
Chimú
1100–1470
Medium
Gold with turquoise inlay
Dimensions
34 × 12.7 cm (13 3/8 × 5 in.)
Classification
ceremonial object
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
18757
About the Artist
Chimú
The Chimú, a preeminent pre-Columbian culture of Peru's northern coast, flourished from approximately 900 to 1470 CE as the Kingdom of Chimor, emerging in the wake of the Moche civilization's decline and incorporating influences from the Sican, Wari, and Cajamarca cultures. Centered in the vast adobe metropolis of Chan Chan—the largest city in the Americas before the Inca, housing up to 60,000 peo...