Miniature Litter Section
Unknown Artist
11th–late 15th century
Medium
Silver (hammered), gilt
Dimensions
Length 4-11/16 in. (11.9 cm)
Classification
Metal-Sculpture
Culture
Chimú or Chancay
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Cummings, 1964
Accession Number
64.228.694
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Miniature Litter Section*, crafted from hammered silver and gilded for a luminous finish, hails from Peru's north coast, attributed to either the Chimú or Chancay culture between the 11th and late 15th centuries. Measuring just 4-11/16 inches long, this delicate metal sculpture represents a segment of a litter—a portable throne or sedan chair borne on poles by attendants. Such miniatures were likely votive offerings or status symbols, evoking the grandeur of elite processions in pre-Columbian Andean societies. The artistry shines in the hammering technique, where thin silver s...