Tree
13th–15th century
Medium
Silver (hammered)
Dimensions
H. 4 3/4 × W. 4 × D. 3 1/2 in. (12.1 × 10.2 × 8.9 cm)
Classification
Metal-Sculpture
Culture
Chimú or Chancay
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
1987.394.657
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate silver tree, crafted by Chimú or Chancay artists the 13th and 15th centuries, exemplifies extraordinary metalworking prowess of Peru's northern coast cultures during the Late Intermediate Period. Standing just 4¾ inches tall, this hammered silver sculpture captures the organic form of a tree with graceful branches, likely evoking the natural world central to Andean life. Attributed to either the Chimú—known for their vast adobe metropolis of Chan Chan—or the Chancay, with their distinctive coastal traditions, it reflects a shared mastery of precious metals before the Inca conques...