Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chimu culture, ca. 1100 to 1470 CE. A handsome example of a ceremonial tumi, cast from thick copper, with a narrow blade, curved on its lower side, attached to a round, openwork handle capped by a finial in the form of a crouched feline. The feline has large, perky ears and a powerful, muscular body, but the gangliness of its limbs suggests a kitten. The openwork center has an abstract motif of what looks like lizards or avians - a form familiar to fans of the stylized iconography of Chimu textiles. The tumi was a ceremonial knife with a semicircular blade whose symbolic purpose was to slit the throat of sacrificial victims. Size: 4.75" W x 5.2" H (12.1 cm x 13.2 cm); 6.5" H (16.5 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#132024

Encrusted deep green patina. One tip of the blade is lost. Nice remaining detail. Openwork center may also have a loss but if is difficult to tell if that is part of the original design or not.