Large Sicán Painted Gold Mask, ca. A.D. 950-1250

the continuous sheet of the imposing stylized face of the Sicán lord, with upturned eyes applied with rounded pupils, separately applied nose, and straight mouth, adorned with small roundels on the ear flanges, teardrop dangles beneath the eyes, and perforations on the ears, eyes and upper lip for insertion of additional ornaments, with extensive remains of cinnabar pigment and traces of green.

Acquired over 40 years ago

Overall very good, is intact but shows losses of some eye and ear ornaments. Overall there is considerable encrustation and dirt still remaining on the surface, nice pigment and gold surface visible with minimal test cleaning. Nose is composed of two sheets but appear to belong. Eye pupils are ancient but show they are reattached with slightly thicker wire than other wire tabs.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This large Sicán mask is a fine example of using pigments to add to the aura of these highly stylized  funerary items. Sicán masks from the north coast of Peru are some of the largest ancient goldworks known. The carefully hammered flat surfaces were layered with ear and nose dangles, eye stalks, and often painted with sacred red and green pigments, to create a dazzling collage of three-dimensional quality, even creating an acoustic effect. This mask belongs to the Type A category of the Sicán typology; for masks of large size and a fairly heavy gauge sheet metal, see Muro and Shimada (1985: 65, 68), and ibid. (pg. 67, figs. 5 and 6), for masks with pigment remaining.