Nose ornament
Nose ornaments, usually suspended from the nasal septum, served as indicators of status and identity in antiquity. Made from precious metals, these objects were the focus of immense creative exploration in the first millennium of the Common Era. Metalsmiths from the highland Frías region of northern Peru made ornaments of metal sheet, but often shaped into fully three-dimensional forms, similar to styles found farther north. These objects bear a strong resemblance to pieces from the Tolita-Tumaco and Zenú cultures in Ecuador and Colombia. Indeed, studies have shown that metalworkers from the north brought their technological know-how to the Piura region, where they made gold objects reflecting their native iconographic traditions but using local raw materials.
Further reading:
Castillo, Luis Jaime. “Masters of the Universe: Moche Artists and Their Patrons.” In Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, edited by Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter, pp. 24-31. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2017.
Quilter, Jeffrey, and Alexis Hartford. "Nose Ornaments: A General Typology and Moche Case Study." Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics 77, no. 1 (2022), pp. 283-302.
Vetter, Luisa. “El gran hallazgo de 1956 en Piura: Nuevas preguntas sobre la metalurgia de los Andes centrales.” In Los desafíos del tiempo, el espacio y la memoria. Ensayos en homenaje a Peter Kaulicke, edited by Rafael Vega Centeno and Jalh Dulanto, pp. 505–41. Lima: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2020.
Vetter, Luisa et al. “La técnica del cobre dorado en objetos de metal usados entre el 400 AC y el 450/500 DC en la Bahía de Huanchaco, costa norte del Perú.” Chungará 55 número 4 (2023): 681-701.
Further reading:
Castillo, Luis Jaime. “Masters of the Universe: Moche Artists and Their Patrons.” In Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, edited by Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter, pp. 24-31. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2017.
Quilter, Jeffrey, and Alexis Hartford. "Nose Ornaments: A General Typology and Moche Case Study." Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics 77, no. 1 (2022), pp. 283-302.
Vetter, Luisa. “El gran hallazgo de 1956 en Piura: Nuevas preguntas sobre la metalurgia de los Andes centrales.” In Los desafíos del tiempo, el espacio y la memoria. Ensayos en homenaje a Peter Kaulicke, edited by Rafael Vega Centeno and Jalh Dulanto, pp. 505–41. Lima: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2020.
Vetter, Luisa et al. “La técnica del cobre dorado en objetos de metal usados entre el 400 AC y el 450/500 DC en la Bahía de Huanchaco, costa norte del Perú.” Chungará 55 número 4 (2023): 681-701.
Artwork Details
- Title: Nose ornament
- Artist: Frías artist(s)
- Date: 300–600 CE
- Geography: Peru
- Culture: Vicús
- Medium: Gold
- Dimensions: Height 9/16 in.
- Classification: Metal-Ornaments
- Credit Line: Gift and Bequest of Alice K. Bache, 1966, 1977
- Object Number: 66.196.37
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Moche artist(s)
400–700 CE
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.