- 104
Moche Mask ca. A.D. 500-700
Estimate
20,000 - 25,000 USD
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Description
- ceramic
the round face marked by concentric furrows of wrinkles, with pierced eyes, nostrils and mouth, a sheath of headdress across the brow and encircling the rim, with remains of white pigment; pierced at each temple for attachment.
Provenance
Fine Arts of Ancient Lands, 1970 or earlier
Peter G. Wray Collection, 1971-1983
Wally Zollman Collection, 1983-1998
Acquired by the present owner in 1998
Peter G. Wray Collection, 1971-1983
Wally Zollman Collection, 1983-1998
Acquired by the present owner in 1998
Exhibited
Indianapolis, Indianapolis Museum of Art, The Face of Ancient America, The Wally and Brenda Zollman Collection of Precolumbian Art, December 3, 1988-February 26, 1989, continuing to Bloomington, Indiana University Art Museum, June 13-September 10, 1989
Literature
Parsons, Carlson and Joralemon, The Face of Ancient America, The Wally and Brenda Zollman Collection of Precolumbian Art, 1988, inside front cover and no. 144
Catalogue Note
Masks made of painted textile and metal are known as part of effigy bundles, but examples in ceramic are rare. This Moche mask is distinctive for the perforated features, suggesting a ceremonial use. The aged, wrinkled figure may represent a specific deity within the narrative of Moche mythology; for a similar example, see Bird, Art and Life in Old Peru (1962:Fig. 55).