Textile ornament
Ornaments made of hammered gold sheet or other materials were sometimes sewn to woven garments, creating a dazzling effect when catching the light and animated by the wearers’ movements. Nasca metalsmiths of Peru’s South Coast created this star-shaped ornament, one of at least nine that may have been affixed to an impressive tunic or other element of attire (see MMA 1979.206.754-.762). Each ornament has two pairs of perforations on opposite sides, allowing for attachment to a textile (a figure on a Nasca bottle, MMA 64.228.66, is likely wearing such a garment).
The ornaments’ shape resembles sections of San Pedro cacti (also known as wachuma), a sacred plant used in shamanic rituals in the Andes. The sections’ lobes feature eyes and tongues rendered in repoussé (worked from behind), perhaps references to toads, an animal associated with water, an important resource in the desert environment of the South Coast.
References and Further Reading
Pardo, Cecilia, and Peter Fux. Nasca. Lima: Museo de Arte Lima, 2017.
Pillsbury, Joanne, Timothy F. Potts, and Kim N. Richter, eds. Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2017.
Proulx, Donald A. “Paracas and Nasca: Regional Cultures on the South Coast of Peru” in The Handbook of South American Archaeology, edited by H. Silverman and W. H. Isbell, pp. 563-585. New York: Springer, 2008.
The ornaments’ shape resembles sections of San Pedro cacti (also known as wachuma), a sacred plant used in shamanic rituals in the Andes. The sections’ lobes feature eyes and tongues rendered in repoussé (worked from behind), perhaps references to toads, an animal associated with water, an important resource in the desert environment of the South Coast.
References and Further Reading
Pardo, Cecilia, and Peter Fux. Nasca. Lima: Museo de Arte Lima, 2017.
Pillsbury, Joanne, Timothy F. Potts, and Kim N. Richter, eds. Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2017.
Proulx, Donald A. “Paracas and Nasca: Regional Cultures on the South Coast of Peru” in The Handbook of South American Archaeology, edited by H. Silverman and W. H. Isbell, pp. 563-585. New York: Springer, 2008.
Artwork Details
- Title: Textile ornament
- Artist: Nasca artist(s)
- Date: 1–700 CE
- Geography: Peru, South Coast
- Culture: Nasca
- Medium: Gold
- Dimensions: H. 4 11/16 × W. 4 1/8 × D. 1/4 in. (11.9 × 10.5 × 0.6 cm)
- Classification: Metal-Ornaments
- Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.206.756
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Nasca artist(s)
1–400 CE
Nasca artist(s)
100–500 CE
Nasca artist(s)
100–500 CE
Nasca artist(s)
1–700 CE
Nasca artist(s)
1–700 CE
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.