Product Details

Pre-Columbian Chimú copper needle from Peru, dating to ca. 900–1470 CE. The needle exhibits a long tapering form and attractive ancient green patina developed over centuries of burial. Such implements were used in textile production, one of the most important artistic traditions of the Chimú culture. Important Condition Note: The bird-form ornament at the top is ancient and authentic; however, it is not original to this particular needle. The adornment was most likely originally part of a necklace or other ornament and was attached to the needle at a later date, likely to increase its market appeal or value. The needle itself is ancient and authentic, and the bird ornament is also ancient and authentic, but the two components did not originally belong together. Provenance: Ex Bruno Wassermann Collection (1920–1959). Ex Herbert Frey Collection (1959–1994). Sold by Joel L. Malter Galleries, Encino, California, December 14, 1994, to Paul Randazzo.