Face Mask Ornament
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Silvered copper, shell
Dimensions
H x W: 3 3/16 x 3 7/8in. (8.1 x 9.8cm)
Classification
Metal-Ornaments
Culture
Moche
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Jane Costello Goldberg, from the Collection of Arnold I. Goldberg, 1986
Accession Number
1987.394.111
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 3 3/16 x 3 7/8 inches, this petite treasure from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas collection captures a stylized human face in silvered copper—a sophisticated technique where a thin silver layer was applied over copper for a luminous, precious effect. Delicate shell elements likely accentuate features like eyes or teeth, adding a tactile, iridescent contrast typical of Moche ...