**Originally Listed At $800**

Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. A round, long crescent-shaped nose ring, made of 16 karat gold hammered into shape, with a raised floral motif on the outer face. A raised border of small dots completes the surface design. Twin delicate, hollow cylinders project from either side of the interior of the crescent, allowing the item to be attached to the nose. Size: 2.9" W x 1.3" H (7.4 cm x 3.3 cm); Weight: 5.8 grams

The crescent form of this object mirrors that of many known Moche gold items - headdresses and pectorals also had the crescent form, and they derive much of their impressiveness from the wide reflective surface they present to the viewer. This object probably belonged to a male, because in ancient Peru, gold seems to have been reserved for elite men, while silver was reserved for elite women. The crescent may have symbolized Si, the moon goddess, considered more powerful than the sun because she could be seen both in the night and the day.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection

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