Owl Head
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Gilded copper
Dimensions
Height 3-3/16 in. (8 cm)
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
1987.394.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Owl Head*, crafted by an unknown Moche artist between the 6th and 7th centuries, hails from the ancient Moche culture of Peru's northern coast. Standing just 3-3/16 inches (8 cm) tall, this gilded copper ornament exemplifies the Moche's mastery of metallurgy during a time when their society thrived on sophisticated irrigation, monumental architecture, and vivid artistic expressions. Likely worn as jewelry or a ritual accessory, it reflects the culture's reverence for animals as spiritual messengers. The medium—gilded copper—highlights innovative techniques like depletion gildi...