Lima & Jewelry

I have enjoyed seeing the jewelry and its prominence within Perú. Specifically in Museo Larco we were able to recognize the impact of jewelry in the past. There is variety to the jewelry seen in Museo Larco as there are both gold and silver represented. Though we were able to see an abundance of jewelry, we also learned how many items were stolen or melted down and so complete sets are a rarity. We learned that jewelry was a sign of wealth. Typically there were large earrings worn, nosepieces, and necklaces or plates around the chest area. Earrings were a sign of high status but also represented a prisoner being sacrificed showing the municipality of jewelry’s role in status and societal role. Furthermore, the nosepieces represented a feline-like nature. I found it the most interesting that gold jewelry was used to represent the sun and show power, whereas silver was meant to represent the moon. This contrast between day and night shown though jewelry was very clear when viewing it in a museum. Outside of the museum, local street vendors, jewelry stores and more sell silver jewelry, and though gold was worn just as commonly it is not sold as easily accessible.