Art in CONTEXT

For more than 500 years, this exquisite Chimú gold mask lay buried, undisturbed by Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century and generations of huaceros, as Peruvian grave robbers are known. Excavated in the l960s near the ruins of Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the Chimú, this mask once adorned the mummy of a wealthy and prominent leader. It is one of the finest examples of a Chimú funerary work in the United States.

This work is exceptional for its completeness, being comprised of 35 separate pieces, its rare large size, and its elaborate execution and design. The intricate cutout anthropomorphic ornamentation on the ear flanges is notable. Although no traces of red cinnabar paint are found, the mask may very well have been painted and decorated with semiprecious stones, shells, and colorful feathers.

The Chimú empire, a highly sophisticated society that immediately proceeded the dominance of the Inca, flourished between A.D. 1100 and 1400. They occupied an area along the north coast of Peru ranging from the Ecuador border to near present-day Lima. Expanding the region of their predecessors, the Moche, they improved irrigation and drainage systems, extended networks of roads, and enlarged urban and ceremonial centers. The Chimú believed in an afterlife closely linked to their earthly world. The dead were prepared for their journey into the next life with elaborate tombs and copious amounts of goods buried alongside the departed. The carefully wrapped mummies were adorned with elaborate ornamentation, of which this mask was a part. It was probably sewn into the fabric wrappings of the mummy's head. The mask and other decorations played an important role in the intricate conveyance of the dead from this world into the next, as symbols of wealth and status and because they were believed to protect and beautify the dead.

Gold in Peruvian society, as in many cultures across the Americas, was revered as a precious commodity. Believed by the Inca to be the "sweat of the sun," gold possessed a mystical and religious quality. It was used only for ceremonial adornment of the dead, in temples and other sacred places, and in other ceremonial and status-conferring objects.

At the time of Francisco Pizarro's arrival in 1532, Peru enjoyed the richest supply of gold in the New World, mining an estimated six million ounces annually. Commenting on this abundance of wealth, the Spanish missionary and explorer Father Diego de Cordova wrote:

It is certain that the treasures of gold and silver and jewels that the Incas had exceeded beyond all comparison all those that all the Kings of the Earth had enjoyed.

Alexander Lee Nyerges

SUGGESTED READINGS:

Fagen, Brian M. Kingdoms of Gold, Kingdoms of Jade: The Americas Before Columbus. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1991.

Kirkpatrick, S. Lords of Sipan: A True Story of Pre-Inca Tombs, Archaeology and Crime. New York: Henry Halt, 1992.

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