AN IMPORTANT GOLD, SILVER, & COPPER LAMBAYEQUE (SICAN CULTURE) MASK

This large and stunning mask is composed of high grade finely hammered gold on a background of silver and copper creating a stylized human face with teardrop-shaped eyes, each distinguished by wire extensions of globular gold and disc dangles. Each of the ear flanges have attached six hammered gold dangles above decorated hammered gold discs with concentric outer circular gold ornaments. The red cinnabar pigment applied to the copper surface make this masterwork composition beautifully complete. This mask has been thoroughly examined by two curators from a major East Coast museum, and all accoutrements have been deemed as original to the mask.

SOLD

ORIGIN

Sican Culture., North Coast of Peru., A.D. 900-1300.

DIMENSION

H 13IN x W 19IN
H 33.02CM x W 48.26CM

PROVENANCE

1) Ian Arundel Collection, Los Angeles, 1950s-'60s. By descent to Colin Arundel. Ex-Curiosity Cabinet, Los Angeles, 1960s.
Ian Arundel was a noted Los Angeles dealer of high quality ancient and tribal art during the 1970s.
He was located on Melrose Place from the 1950s until the 1990s.
2) Private West Coast Collection, 1980s-2013.
3) Private Boston, Massachusetts collection, 2013-to present. Cf.
A comparable mask is published in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession No. 1974.271.35.

CONDITION

Excellent for a thousand year old metal composition.