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Social Sharing
Figurine
A.D. 700-900
Not on view
This diminutive mosaic figurine depicts a high-ranking member of Wari society. He wears a distinctive Wari-style four-cornered hat, large ear ornaments, and an elaborate tunic. The detailed pattern of the tunic marks him as a high-ranking imperial official. The mosaic is made of precious materials, all carefully adhered to a wooden form. The pink and orange fragments are Spondylus (spiny oyster) shells, harvested from the Ecuadorian coast and traded great distances to the Andean highlands. The figure's necklace is made of a crescent-shaped sheet of thinly hammered silver, now oxidized to a dark gray. Wari mosaic figurines such as this are uncommon and were likely made for and owned by the elite members of the empire.
- Title
- Figurine
- Date
- A.D. 700-900
- Object Type
- Jewelry
- Medium
- Wood, bitumen, spondylus shell, mother-of-pearl, saltwater clam, jadeite, bone, hammered silver
- Dimensions
- 8.9 x 7.6 x 2.5 cm (3 1/2 x 3 x 1 in.)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase, Unrestricted Art Endowment Fund, Mrs. Paul L. Wattis, Mr. and Mrs. J. Alec Merriam, Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Parker III, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Seligman Jr., Mr. and Mrs. James J. Ludwig, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Kingsley, Professor James H. Morrow and Emily Rose Morrow, David Mayer, and the Ellen and Klaus Werner Fund in honor of Ian White
- Accession Number
- 1989.4