Pre-Columbian, Peru, Huari (Wari) or Chancay, ca. 1200 to 1400 CE. A finely carved wooden mask from a mummy bundle, displaying a powerful visage dominated by huge, almond-shaped eyes of white shell inlay. The visage and generic features are part of the traditional mask style for adorning the mummified bodies, as they were not intended to be portraits, but a stylized representation the human face for important individuals as a mark of their elite status. This wood head and rest of the deceased person would have been wrapped in ornate textiles woven from luxurious camelid (alpaca / llama) wool. Size: 8" L x 2" W x 12.5" H (20.3 cm x 5.1 cm x 31.8 cm)

The arid deserts that surrounded the homeland of the Chancay culture facilitated the natural mummification of deceased animals and humans, perhaps leading the Chancay to embrace the dried preservation of their dead, since embalming fluid was not necessary. They incorporated elaborate textiles into mortuary rituals and often wrapped the body in cloth after it was positioned in a seated or fetal position with the head resting on the knees. The mask created a face for the mummy to direct worship, but it was often placed on the top of the wrappings and might not actually rest where the head was positioned.

Provenance: private Pennsylvania, USA collection, acquired before 2004; ex-Wasserman Collection, Germany

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#177007

Repaired, piece of wood on upper edge and nose reattached and shell fragments are reattached to sockets with adhesive. Stable fissures and pressure cracks as shown. Losses to peripheries. Old label on verso and metal mounting hardware attached.