Mirror Handle
Chimú
1 of 2
Object Label
This exquisitely carved Chimú mirror handle originally held a pyrite mirror in the concave area at the back. The object’s depiction of trophy heads (seen in the hands of the male figure) is rare for the period. The figure’s opulent attire, with a crescent headdress, serpent-headed collar, and sleeved tunic, indicates that he is a member of the ruling elite. Sacrificial victims have been found in high-status burials, and the trophy heads on this object may therefore allude to the status of the mirror’s owner.
Caption
Chimú. Mirror Handle, ca. 850–1470. Wood, gold, turquoise, red pigment, 11 5/8 x 5 9/16 in. (29.5 x 14.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc., 86.224.4. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Mirror Handle
Date
ca. 850–1470
Period
Late Intermediate Period
Geography
Place found: North Coast, Peru
Medium
Wood, gold, turquoise, red pigment
Classification
Dimensions
11 5/8 x 5 9/16 in. (29.5 x 14.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc.
Accession Number
86.224.4
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