Nazca – Hauri “Elites” False Head Mummy Mask ca. 500-1000 AD
A very rare “Elites” false head bundle from the Nazca Huari period. This remarkable and delicate mummy face mask head is comprised of Totoro reed stuffed within a woven cotton gauze. Small individual vibrant orange colored feathers are attached to the front creating the face. Nose bundle is in relief with black feathers being applied for contrast. Eyes and mouth are made from copper sheet and sewn in. The crown is composed of two sections. The lower headband is a woven textile with colorful zoomorphic imagery. The upper is a bulky cotton gauze. Braided rope also adorns entire head.
Measures 7″ in height, 7″ in width, 3″ in depth.
Southern, Peru. ca. 500 – 1000 AD.
Condition: Some loss of feathers otherwise Choice.
Feathers were a rare and highly valued. These “false heads” crowned the bulky funeral bales of an Elite tomb that characterized the time of the Wari/Huari expansion in the territories of the Nazca culture.