Nose Ornament
Unknown Artist
1st century BCE–2nd century CE
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
H. 1 x W. 2 1/4 x D. 1/16 in. (2.5 x 5.7 x 0.1 cm)
Classification
Metal-Ornaments
Culture
Salinar (?)
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Accession Number
1979.206.1173
Art Historical Context
This delicate Nose Ornament, crafted from a thin sheet of gold, hails from Peru's north coast and dates to the 1 century BCE–2nd CE. Attributed tentatively to the Salinar culture early Andean society known for its transitional metalworking between earlier Cupisnique and later M traditions—this tiny treasure measures just 1 inch high, 2¼ inches wide, and /16 inch deep. Its shimmering surface and precise proportions reflect the high value placed on gold in pre-Columbian Americas, where the metal symbolized solar divinity and elite prestige. In ancient Andean communities, nose ornaments like thi...