Chimu Silver Pectoral Ornaments, North Coast Peru

Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chimu culture, ca. 900 to 1470 CE. An assemblage of Chimu silver ornaments, each hammered from thin sheets of high-purity silver (95–96%) and pierced for attachment, presented in a modern frame under glass. The individual elements, including small pendants possibly shaped as stylized fish or figures, and circular discs, are arranged in a crescent formation resembling a collar or funerary pectoral, of the type associated with regalia worn by high-ranking nobles or priests. Silver in Chimu cosmology was associated with the moon, the night, and the watery underworld. The Chimu are understood to have venerated a moon deity, recognizing its association with tides, fertility, and cyclical rebirth. Size of a silver ornament: 2.3" L x 1" W (5.8 cm x 2.5 cm); frame: 27" L x 21.5" W (68.6 cm x 54.6 cm); silver quality: 96% to 97% Item # 198947

Estimate:£527.48

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