Plaque with Figures
Unknown Artist
900–1470
Medium
hammered gold alloy
Dimensions
10.7 × 12.3 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1945.129
About this artwork
Frontal figures flanked by profile attendants have a long history in the Andes. This is the quintessential group of authority and power, here a Chimú lord and two creatures perhaps from mythology. Ancient Andean cultures did not use writing, so it is difficult to know more about the scene's meaning. Additional elements, probably also of gold, originally were tabbed through the slots on the surface.