47198

Chimú Pair of Earspools Wood, Shell, green stone

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
Chimú Pair of Earspools Wood, Shell, green stone
<B>Pair of Earspools</B></I><BR>Chimú<BR>A.D. 1100 - 1400<BR>Wood, shell, green stone<BR>Weight 50 grams<BR>Diameter 2 1/2 in.<BR><BR>A standard North Coast motif from Moche times onward for a thousand years presents a standing frontal figure holding objects to either side and wearing a large crescent-shaped headdress. In these earspools each figure holds a pair of what appear to be tall cups with white upper sections, orange central areas, and blue-green lower parts.The faces have noses carved in bas-relief. This feature combines with blue-green eyes to impart a surprising degree of animation in such small faces. There is some cracking and minor loss in the wood. The mosaic is in good condition, with minor adhesive losses and surface abrasions.<BR><BR>Provenance<BR>Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco: sale 737E, 9 June 2003, lot 5110 (there mounted with a silver-repoussé crown and breastplate, no longer a part of the present lot)<BR><BR>