Cleveland Museum of Art

Ornament with Figure

Date

600–1000

Medium

shell, stone, and metal (silver?)

Culture

Central Andes, Wari style

Department

Art of the Americas

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Affixed to a section of white shell is the image of a Wari dignitary, assembled of carefully carved mosaic elements. The purple and pink shapes are made of shell, while the green is serpentine. The spots on the figure's tunic are probably pyrite, which was originally smooth and reflective.

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