pre-columbian art

Large Cups

In terms of imagery, the two silver cups seen here are the most complex artworks ever recovered from ancient Peru’s north coast. Both are formed of sheet silver with repoussé decoration created by pushing out from the inside surface of the metal.

The cup on the left features roundels with scenes involving spondylus (spiny oyster) shell, an orange-colored shell sacred to many ancient Andean peoples. Below them may be a procession with litters, a cupbearer, and a figure bearing crops. Imagery on the cup at right is even more elaborate: architectural compounds, gardens, boats, deer hunters, and supernatural beings are all included in what may be episodes of a mythological story. The giant serpent filled with fish may represent a river.

Asian Art