Chimu Inlaid Wood Ear Spool, ca. 900 - 1250 CE Jewelry - Earrings with the conventionally called "Contest

with the conventionally called "Contest Scene" becoming the most common design

Hillside Gallery

Crafted from high karat gold and edged with fine gold wire

His large feather crown surmounts grotesque facial features

Chimu Inlaid Wood Ear Spool, ca. 900 - 1250 CE Jewelry - Earrings with the conventionally called "ContestThis finely crafted wooden ear spool is inlaid with an elaborate mosaic of mother of pearl, turquoise, and spondylus shell. The face is centered by a complex geometric composition depicting a four headed avian creature sharing a single body with spread wings, rendered in the abstract visual language characteristic of Chimu art. Around the perimeter runs a border of inset circular elements that frame the central motif and emphasize the objects symmetry