ticketsMember | Make a donation

Nose Ornament

300–600 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 362
In the northern Peruvian department of Piura, close to the Ecuadorian border, ancient metalsmiths developed a technique that utilized gold sheet assembled into complex three-dimensional figures that were further elaborated with the application of gold wire filigree. This nose ornament, worn attached to the nasal septum, has four upward-facing hummingbirds resting on a crescent-shaped sheet. The head of each bird is formed from two hemispheric pieces of gold soldered together and placed upon a cylindrical neck. The eyes are formed from cylinders of gold sheet with punched holes for the pupils. The beak was formed from a small cone of gold sheet. A crest, made from a strip of gold cut into eight small tabs and edged with twisted gold wire, runs down the top of each head. The bird’s bodies are formed from two small gold sheets soldered together and the edges of the top sheet outlined with braided gold wires. At the end of each tail, three golden dangles hang from thin gold wires.

References and 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.

Disselhoff, Hans-Dietrich. "Metallschmuck aus der Loma Negra, Vicus (Nord-Peru)." Antike Welt vol. 3 (1972), pp. 43–53.

Vetter, Luisa, and Maria Filomena Guerra. “Simbolismo de las narigueras peruanas y aproximación a su manufactura durante el periodo intermedio temprano.” Bulletin de l’Institut français d’études andines 48, no. 2 (2019): 109–33.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Nose Ornament
  • Artist: Frías artist(s)
  • Date: 300–600 CE
  • Geography: Peru
  • Culture: Frías
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: H. 1 3/4 x W. 3 5/16 in. (4.4 x 8.4 cm)
  • Classification: Metal-Ornaments
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.206.1232
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Bird ornament, Frías artist(s), Gold, Moche (?)
Bird ornament
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Bird ornament, Frías artist(s), Gold, Moche (?)
Bird ornament
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Nose ornament, Frías artist(s), Gold, Vicús
Nose ornament
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Bird ornament, Frías artist(s), Gold, Moche (?)
Bird ornament
Frías artist(s)
300–600 CE
Ear ornament with winged runner, Moche artist(s), Gold, turquoise, sodalite, shell, Moche
Ear ornament with winged runner
Moche artist(s)
400–700 CE

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

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.