"The Moche people lived near the northeastern coast of modern-day Peru for much of the 1st millennium CE, several centuries before the Inca Empire began to dominate the region. This short from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City reconstructs a ceremonial Moche shield adorned with a predatory owl that was made sometime between the 6th and 9th centuries CE."
"The video uses animation to transform the remarkable object from its degraded modern state to the golden shine its gilded copper would have possessed shortly after it was created. In addition to showcasing the incredible metalsmithing skills of the Moche craftspeople, it offers a brief yet revealing glimpse into the age-old roles of symbolism and ritual in warfare."
The Moche people lived along the northeastern coast of modern-day Peru for much of the 1st millennium CE, predating the Inca Empire by several centuries. A ceremonial shield decorated with a predatory owl was produced between the 6th and 9th centuries CE. Animation reconstructs the shield’s degraded modern appearance and restores the golden shine of its original gilded copper. The object demonstrates high-level Moche metalsmithing techniques and the use of precious metals for ceremonial objects. The owl motif and ceremonial function indicate the integration of symbolism and ritual into warfare and elite display practices.
Read at Aeon
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