Vicús Gold Nose Ornaments

Room 11, Vitrine 136

Metal
Peruvian Northern Coast
Formative Epoch (1250 BC – 1 AD)
ML100010, ML100015, ML100016, ML100020-ML100024, ML100052, ML100054, ML100056, ML100061, ML100063-ML100065, ML100474-ML100476, ML100478, ML100481, ML100482.

Vicús nose ornaments made from gold and gold and copper alloys were hung from the cartilage between the nostrils. Their gold color and concentric circular decoration symbolized the jaguar, which was represented often in the art of ancient Peru, especially among the cultures of the Formative Epoch. The jaguar’s pelt was represented in stone sculpture and pottery with the same circular symbols. Within the world view of South American cultures, the jaguar has also been linked with the sun and, therefore, with gold.