Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chancay, ca. 1000 to 1425 CE. A fine funerary mask carved from wood, painted with pink and white pigments, with a black resin added to the eyes as the pupils, and the upturned mouth gives a friendly expression to this visage! Upon the head is a wig / headdress made from a textile headband woven from camelid wool from alpaca or llama, and a fringe made from human hair! The headdress is in excellent condition for the age - preservation to priceless textiles and organic material like hair and wood is possible due to the dry climate and burial practices. Masks and headdress wigs were often placed upon the mummies of important individuals as a mark of their elite status, and the bodies were then wrapped in extensive layers of textiles as lavish decorations and offerings for the deceased. Textiles were a fundamental and highly valued aspect of Chancay culture, often considered as important as or even more important than gold! Size: 6.5" L x 2" W x 11.5" H (16.5 cm x 5.1 cm x 29.2 cm); 13" H (33 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 2000 to 2010

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#184509

Some wear and losses to surface pigments, but overall superb preservation to wood. Fraying and losses to fibers on the textile edges, but overall textile and hair fringe is largely intact.