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Pre-Columbian, Bolivia, Lake Titicaca region, Tiahuanaco / Tiwanaku, ca. 400 to 700 CE. A beautiful set of hammered silver appliques, tupus, and a headdress, all regalia that would have adorned an elite person in life and decorated his or her mummy in death. The set includes four tupus, one tupu-shaped ornament with a very long, broad stem, a symmetrical ornament that was probably a pectoral or worn on the nose, and two disc-shaped appliques with tumis (ceremonial blades) on their bases. Finally, there is a beautiful crown, made of a broad strip of hammered silver, with a conical projection containing large, white feathers at its center. Two huge "feathers" of hammered silver also are present here and would have once adorned the front of the crown. These are all displayed together on a custom stand. Size: 17" W x 25" H (43.2 cm x 63.5 cm); 65" H (165.1 cm) on included custom stand.

The monumental city of Tiahuanaco / Tiwanaku in the Bolivian highlands is an incredible 13,000 feet above sea level. Among the 754 recognized World Heritage Sites, Tiwanaku is surrounded by glorious mountain ranges, with Lake Titicaca on the west border. Huge blocks of a stone which are not actually indigenous to the otherwise flat plateau have inspired Tiwanaku's nickname - "the Stonehenge of the Americas".

The Tiahuanaco were infatuated with gold and silver. Many elements of high-society life revolved around the glint of yellow gold or the blinding reflection of silver, so much so that the upper class were oftentimes buried wearing full, elaborate vestments adorned with dozens if not hundreds of small precious metal appliques (Young-Sanchez, Margaret. Tiwanaku: Ancestors of the Inca. University of Nebraska Press, Denver Art Museum, 2004, pp. 59-60). Tiahuanaco artwork is much more abstract than that of their neighbors in other parts of the Andes, often featuring elegant, simple forms rather than elaborate decorate.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-Ron Messick Gallery, New Mexico, USA

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#153293

The silver has some slight bends and tears but is overall in lovely condition. The feathers have some small areas of wear/staining but are also in great condition for their age.