Moche Gilded Copper Alloy Disc Ornament initiationmask org/collection/object/A_2010-3007-8)

org/collection/object/A_2010-3007-8)

enabling the figure to act on behalf of the ritual specialist

while their extensive trade networks connected them to the civilizations of Mesopotamia

or as commemorations of significant events

org/art/collection/search/311818)

Moche Gilded Copper Alloy Disc Ornament initiationmask org/collection/object/A_2010-3007-8)Pre Columbian Era, Moche Culture, Moche Phase IIIV, c. 200600 AD, Northern Peru An exceptional and rare gilded copper disc applique, possibly representing the Sun, a powerful symbol in Moche cosmology. The ornament features a small suspension hole, suggesting it was once attached to a ceremonial object or garment. The precise function of such discs remains uncertain, but scholars speculate they may have served as ritual adornments for symbolic