Chimu Inlaid Wood Ear Spool, ca. 900 - 1250 CE Sculpture - Metal participating in a traditional funeral

participating in a traditional funeral banquet

The piece is presented on a custom birch wood bust carved from a single block by F

and the central grouping is a ring of granules with one in the middle

making its production complex and costly

the ring presents particularly well and can be adjusted for wearing if required

Chimu Inlaid Wood Ear Spool, ca. 900 - 1250 CE Sculpture - Metal participating in a traditional funeralThis finely crafted wooden ear spool is inlaid with an elaborate mosaic of mother of pearl, turquoise, and spondylus shell. The face is centered by a complex geometric composition depicting a four headed avian creature sharing a single body with spread wings, rendered in the abstract visual language characteristic of Chimu art. Around the perimeter runs a border of inset circular elements that frame the central motif and emphasize the objects symmetry