**Originally Listed At $1000**

Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. A huge, almost round, hammered thin gold nose ring, of elegant, smooth form, impressive for its size and the shine on its smooth face. Two tiny, hollow cylinders of gold at the upper center allow it to be hooked to the nostrils. Imagine what this would have looked like when worn! Size: 3.4" W x 2.55" H (8.6 cm x 6.5 cm); Weight: 12.4 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.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#124863

Very slight bending to form