Sinu Gold Broadwing Nose Ornament, Colombia

Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Sinu, ca. 500–1000 CE. A wide crescent of hammered sheet gold, its broad wings sweeping outward to rounded tips and rising in a shallow lunate curve. The central notch terminates in an oval perforation, the point at which the ornament was hung from the pierced nasal septum so that it spread across the lower face and caught the light with every movement. The surface retains a warm, softly mottled ancient patina with scattered mineral deposits. Nose ornaments of this broadwing type were prestige regalia among the goldworking chiefdoms of northern Colombia, worn by elites in life and interred with them, the metal read less as wealth than as a solar substance appropriate to rank. Size: 6.5" W (16.5 cm W); .45 oz.; 20.6K gold; XRF tested: Gold: 20.6K. 86% Gold 12.75% Silver Germanium .25% Copper .8% Iron .2%.

XRF analysis of this ornament returned 20.6K gold: 86 percent gold, 12.75 percent silver with germanium, 0.25 percent copper, 0.8 percent iron, 0.2 percent trace. The high native silver content is characteristic of unrefined placer gold from the Colombian cordilleras, which the Sinu and their neighbors worked directly rather than assaying and purifying.

The Sinu (Zenu) occupied the drainages of the Sinu, San Jorge, and Cauca rivers on Colombia's Caribbean plain, where they engineered one of the ancient Americas' most extensive systems of raised fields and drainage canals. Their metalsmiths were equally accomplished, mastering both lost-wax casting for filigree ear ornaments and, as here, the hammering and annealing of sheet gold into large, thin, structurally rigid forms. Spanish chroniclers of the sixteenth century recorded the looting of Sinu burial mounds for precisely such regalia, which accompanied the dead in quantity.

Provenance: Private Chicago collection, acquired from Robert Duff, FL.

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item #

73146

Condition
Excellent ancient surface patina with scattered deposits. Intact, excellent condition.

Buyer's Premium
30%