Item number: G2

Year: 250 BC- AD 500

The results after XRF testing

Material: 12ct Gold (Tumbaga)

Size: 119.0 x 46.9 x 7.2 mm

Weight: 12.9 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2023

This tumbaga gold ornament, discovered in Peru, belongs to the Vicús culture, which thrived from 250 BC to AD 500. It is closely related to the Chavín culture (900–200 BC). Some researchers believe they were coeval cultures due to their overlapping existence and shared values.
Both civilisations exhibited remarkable craftsmanship in pottery, producing wares highly analogous to those found in nearby Ecuadorian archaeological sites. Their metalwork demonstrates sophisticated technological capabilities, characteristic of advanced early Andean societies.

This ornament is made of tumbaga gold sheet, a copper-gold alloy widely used in Central and South America. The ornament embossed with a human head wearing a headdress, and the ears are pierced with loop earrings and triangular dangles. The rectangular eyes, nose, and mouth are arranged in a lively expression on a mask-like facial plane. The rectilinear shoulder area is embossed with small dots and features five loops suspending long, tapering dangles, each ending in a circle-and-dot motif.

Chavín was the earliest highly developed pre-Columbian culture in Peru, flourishing from  900 to 200 BC. Centred at Chavín dae Huántar in the Peruvian Andes, the civilisation’s artistic influence spread across northern and central Peru. The culture is known for its massive stone temple complex featuring intricate bas-relief carvings with complex human, animal, and mythical figures. Emerging during a period of established agricultural life, Chavín was significant for unifying local cultures through a common ideology and religious practise. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in AD 1985, highlighting its archaeological importance.

物件編號: G2

年代: 公元前 250-公元 500 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 12ct 金 (圖帕伽)

尺寸: 119.0 x 46.9 x 7.2 mm

重量: 12.9 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣 2023

這件圖帕伽金飾品出土於秘魯，屬於公元前 250年至公元 500年間的維庫斯(Vicús)文化，與同期的查文(Chavín)文化（公元前 900-200年）有密切關聯。部分研究認為此判斷基於其存在時間的重疊以及文化特徵的相似性。兩個文明可能同時存在於同個時期。

這兩個文明在陶器製作上展現出卓越的工藝技術，其陶器風格與鄰近厄瓜多爾考古遺址中發現的陶器驚人地相似。他們的金屬工藝呈現出早期安地斯高等文明特有的技術能力。

這件金飾品由圖帕伽黃金薄片製成，圖帕伽是一種在中南美洲廣泛使用的銅金合金工藝。浮雕呈現一個人頭形象，該人像頭戴華麗頭飾，耳朵穿有環形耳環和三角形垂飾。面部由矩形排列的眼、鼻、口構成，表情生動，彷彿一張面具。肩部區域以小點浮雕裝飾，並有五個環形懸掛長而漸細的垂飾，每個垂飾末端都呈現圓形和點的圖案。

查文文化是秘魯最早發展的前哥倫布文明，從公元前 900年到公元前 200年興盛。中心位於秘魯安地斯山脈的查維恩德瓦塔爾，其藝術影響力遍及秘魯北部和中部地區。這個文明以其龐大的石頭神廟建築群而聞名，神廟上有複雜的浮雕，呈現出人類、動物和神話生物的精緻形象。在農業生活已經穩定的時期，查文文化的重要性在於首次通過共同的意識形態和宗教實踐統一了當地文化。公元 1985年，該遺址被聯合國教科文組織列為世界遺產具考古學意義。