Pair of Ear Flares (900–1470): Art, History and Details

Pair of Ear Flares (900–1470) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

North Coast ear ornaments typically have a long shaft that balanced the weight of the glorious frontal. This pair illustrates Chimú interest in the sea, which had great economic and religious importance. On the shafts are bands of seabirds and waves, and a similar pattern edges the frontals, which were altered in modern times. Originally solid disks, the frontals' centers were cut out and a dotted band was added to the rim.

Object facts

• Title: Pair of Ear Flares
• Date: 900–1470
• Culture: Peru, North Coast, Chimú style (900-1470)
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: hammered gold alloy
• Dimensions: Diameter: 8 cm (3 1/8 in.); Overall: 9.9 cm (3 7/8 in.)
• Collection: AA - Andes
• Department: Art of the Americas
• Accession number: 1947.180

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.