Armband Depicting Horse and Rider with Animals
16th century, after 1532
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
254 × 6.2 cm (10 × 2 7/16 in.)
Classification
metal
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
91892
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
[This] flat sheet of gold ornament...demonstrate(s) the continuity of style and technique in the goldwork of Peru. The piece is important because it can be dated by the representation of a Spaniard in armor, seated on a horse, as having been made just at the time of the conquest. The artist indicated his unfamiliarited with a horse by portraying it with the cloven hooves of a llama. The feline, monkey, and bird motifs, all of which ad been used from the time of the Chavin horizon, are depicted w...
About the Artist
Inca
Inca artists, operating anonymously within the vast Inca Empire from approximately 1425 to 1532 CE, were masterful creators whose works symbolized imperial power and unity across the Andes. Thriving in the heart of Cuzco, the empire's capital, these skilled artisans—men and women alike—produced textiles, ceramics, and metalwork that served both practical and ceremonial purposes. Gifted craftspeopl...