Chimu Inlaid Wood Ear Spool, ca. 900 - 1250 CE Sculpture - Metal making its production complex and

making its production complex and costly

The piece is presented on a custom birch wood bust carved from a single block by F

2007 Vivid Visions

They symbolized princely virtue and martial prowess

Chimu Inlaid Wood Ear Spool, ca. 900 - 1250 CE Sculpture - Metal making its production complex andThis finely crafted wooden ear spool is inlaid with an elaborate mosaic of mother of pearl, turquoise, and spondylus shell. The face is centered by a complex geometric composition depicting a four headed avian creature sharing a single body with spread wings, rendered in the abstract visual language characteristic of Chimu art. Around the perimeter runs a border of inset circular elements that frame the central motif and emphasize the objects symmetry