Plaque with Figures (900–1470): Art, History and Details

Plaque with Figures (900–1470) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

Frontal figures flanked by profile attendants have a long history in the Andes. This is the quintessential group of authority and power, here a Chimú lord and two creatures perhaps from mythology. Ancient Andean cultures did not use writing, so it is difficult to know more about the scene's meaning. Additional elements, probably also of gold, originally were tabbed through the slots on the surface.

Object facts

• Title: Plaque with Figures
• Date: 900–1470
• Culture: Peru, North Coast, Chimú style (900-1470)
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: hammered gold alloy
• Dimensions: Overall: 10.7 x 12.3 cm (4 3/16 x 4 13/16 in.)
• Collection: AA - Andes
• Department: Art of the Americas
• Accession number: 1945.129

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.