Andean jewelry: Moche, Nasca and Inca

In the central Andes, cultures mastered metalwork centuries before the Incas. Their jewelry was not mere decoration: it expressed rank, lineage and a link with the sacred world.

Who and where #

The Moche culture (c. 100-800 CE) lived on the north coast of present-day Peru; the Nasca on the south coast; the Chimú and the Incas came later. The tomb of the Lord of Sipán, discovered in 1987, revealed Moche metalwork in gold, silver and gilded copper.

Materials and techniques #

• Gold, silver and copper, including gilded copper pieces.
• Hammering of very thin sheets, chasing and joins by soldering or folding.
• Turquoise, other stones and shell beads as inlay.
• Spondylus shell (mullu), from the warm waters of the equatorial Pacific.

Traditional pieces and their meaning #

• Ear spools: large ear ornaments, of gold or inlaid, that indicated rank.
• Tumi: a ceremonial knife with a semicircular blade and a figure on the handle; today a cultural symbol of Peru.
• Nose ornaments and pectorals: gold and silver ornaments for ceremonial use.
• Spondylus beads: the shell is associated with water, fertility and offerings.

The tradition today #

According to the chroniclers, the Incas called gold the “sweat of the Sun” and silver the “tears of the Moon”. Today's Peruvian and Ecuadorian jewelry revisits these motifs. Original archaeological pieces are protected heritage and their trade is regulated.

See also #

• Gold
• Silver
• Mother-of-pearl and shells
• Symbols in traditional jewelry and their meaning