Copper Head Ornament with Shell Teeth
This copper ornament is shaped like a human head and features shell inlays for teeth, showcasing the intricate metalwork of the Moche civilization.
Date: 6th–7th century AD

This striking ornament, crafted from gilded copper sheet in the shape of a face, features inlaid eyes of green and black stone and teeth made from shell. The ears are attached to the face with small tabs, as is a visor positioned above the eyes.

Wear on the nasal septum indicates that a miniature nose ring was likely once present. Trapezoidal ornaments with V-shaped incisions are affixed to the ears. Seven thin wires extend from the front of the visor, which may have originally supported now-lost dangles. Four perforations—one below each ear and one at the top and bottom of the head—suggest that the ornament was once attached to a backing, such as a banner.

Andean metallurgists employed sophisticated techniques to achieve gilded and silvered surfaces. This remarkable piece was made from a gold-copper alloy, from which the copper was removed from the surface through mechanical and chemical methods, creating the appearance of pure gold. Moche artisans also developed a process to coat copper with a thin layer of gold, silver, or a combination of the two using electrochemical replacement plating—a technique that would not be discovered elsewhere for centuries.