Owl Tab Ornament
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Silvered copper
Dimensions
Length 2-9/16 in. (6.6 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
1987.394.125
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate Owl Tab Ornament, crafted from silvered copper in the th–7th century, hails from the vibrant Moche culture of ancient Peru's northern coast. Measuring just 2-9/16 inches (6.6 cm) in length, this small metal adornment likely served as a decorative tab for clothing, headdresses, or ceremonial objects. The Moche, flourishing between 100–800 CE, were master metalworkers who perfected techniques likeilding and silvering over copper bases creating shimmering surfaces that mimicked precious metals. This piece exemplifies their skill in repoussiné—hammering thin sheets into intricate for...