Face Mask Ornament
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Silvered copper, shell
Dimensions
H. 5 1/8 x W. 4 1/8 in. (13 x 10.5 cm)
Classification
Metal-Ornaments
Culture
Moche
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jane Costello Goldberg, from the Collection of Arnold I. Goldberg, 1980
Accession Number
1980.563.19
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Face Mask Ornament, crafted by an unknown Moche artist between the 6th and 7th centuries,ails from the ancient Moche culture of Peru's northern coast. Measuring just 5 1/8 x 4 1/8 inches, this petite yet intricate piece is made of silvered copper—a technique where a thin silver layer is applied over copper for a luminous, precious-metal sheen—and inlaid with shell for added texture and sparkle. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, it entered the collection in 1980 as a gift from Jane Costello Goldberg, from the C...