Sican Gold Tumi
This Golden Tumi, a ceremonial blade attributed to the Sicán civilization (located in modern day Peru), that once flourishing between 700 and 1100 AD. crafted by Middle Sican metallurgists using thin golden sheets to a point previously and subsequently unseen. Made similar pieces were made of only a single sheet and required skillful annealing, which is a process in which through heating and cooling treatments make the material much easier to work with.
This Tumi like many other’s of its kind features a wide, semi-circular blade, symbolizing the moon or the cosmic cycle, attached seamlessly to a short shaft that extends into a finely detailed handle. At its apex stands a commanding deity or high-status figure, believed to be Naymlap or a revered Sicán lord. The figure is adorned with elaborate regalia with a towering headdress, flared earspools, and chest ornaments, all rendered in repoussé, and chased patterns. However where this Tumi differs from many of its kind, is its rather smaller size.
The Tumi was not a weapon of war, but rather a ceremonial blade used in elite funerary rites, sacrifices, and possibly in shamanic or state rituals involving blood offerings and communication with deities. It would have been wielded by priests or lords whose authority was both political and divine. Its luxurious gold material, symbolizing the sacred essence of the sun, marked its owner as a figure of immense status and spiritual significance. Although it has been depicted as such in a number of Moche iconography as they are, in which they are being used to cut the throats of sacrificial victims
In the late 1500s, a very interesting written narrative emerged from a Spanish chronicle describing a line of rulers in the Lambayeque region, beginning with a figure named Naymlap, who was said to have arrived by sea (Donnan 1978). According to the story, his descendants governed the area for nearly three centuries before the final ruler met a violent end at the hands of the people. Because this account lacks specific dates, historians have struggled to connect it directly to known archaeological cultures. However, ongoing digs in the Lambayeque Valley, especially at the Batan Grande site, have started to clarify the region’s ancient past (Shimada 1981). These discoveries support the theory that Naymlap could have been the inaugural leader of the group that ruled Batan Grande around the start of the first millennium AD, and that the gold artifacts found there bear his image.
This Golden Tumi, a ceremonial blade attributed to the Sicán civilization (located in modern day Peru), that once flourishing between 700 and 1100 AD. crafted by Middle Sican metallurgists using thin golden sheets to a point previously and subsequently unseen. Made similar pieces were made of only a single sheet and required skillful annealing, which is a process in which through heating and cooling treatments make the material much easier to work with.
This Tumi like many other’s of its kind features a wide, semi-circular blade, symbolizing the moon or the cosmic cycle, attached seamlessly to a short shaft that extends into a finely detailed handle. At its apex stands a commanding deity or high-status figure, believed to be Naymlap or a revered Sicán lord. The figure is adorned with elaborate regalia with a towering headdress, flared earspools, and chest ornaments, all rendered in repoussé, and chased patterns. However where this Tumi differs from many of its kind, is its rather smaller size.
The Tumi was not a weapon of war, but rather a ceremonial blade used in elite funerary rites, sacrifices, and possibly in shamanic or state rituals involving blood offerings and communication with deities. It would have been wielded by priests or lords whose authority was both political and divine. Its luxurious gold material, symbolizing the sacred essence of the sun, marked its owner as a figure of immense status and spiritual significance. Although it has been depicted as such in a number of Moche iconography as they are, in which they are being used to cut the throats of sacrificial victims
In the late 1500s, a very interesting written narrative emerged from a Spanish chronicle describing a line of rulers in the Lambayeque region, beginning with a figure named Naymlap, who was said to have arrived by sea (Donnan 1978). According to the story, his descendants governed the area for nearly three centuries before the final ruler met a violent end at the hands of the people. Because this account lacks specific dates, historians have struggled to connect it directly to known archaeological cultures. However, ongoing digs in the Lambayeque Valley, especially at the Batan Grande site, have started to clarify the region’s ancient past (Shimada 1981). These discoveries support the theory that Naymlap could have been the inaugural leader of the group that ruled Batan Grande around the start of the first millennium AD, and that the gold artifacts found there bear his image.
This Golden Tumi, a ceremonial blade attributed to the Sicán civilization (located in modern day Peru), that once flourishing between 700 and 1100 AD. crafted by Middle Sican metallurgists using thin golden sheets to a point previously and subsequently unseen. Made similar pieces were made of only a single sheet and required skillful annealing, which is a process in which through heating and cooling treatments make the material much easier to work with.
This Tumi like many other’s of its kind features a wide, semi-circular blade, symbolizing the moon or the cosmic cycle, attached seamlessly to a short shaft that extends into a finely detailed handle. At its apex stands a commanding deity or high-status figure, believed to be Naymlap or a revered Sicán lord. The figure is adorned with elaborate regalia with a towering headdress, flared earspools, and chest ornaments, all rendered in repoussé, and chased patterns. However where this Tumi differs from many of its kind, is its rather smaller size.
The Tumi was not a weapon of war, but rather a ceremonial blade used in elite funerary rites, sacrifices, and possibly in shamanic or state rituals involving blood offerings and communication with deities. It would have been wielded by priests or lords whose authority was both political and divine. Its luxurious gold material, symbolizing the sacred essence of the sun, marked its owner as a figure of immense status and spiritual significance. Although it has been depicted as such in a number of Moche iconography as they are, in which they are being used to cut the throats of sacrificial victims
In the late 1500s, a very interesting written narrative emerged from a Spanish chronicle describing a line of rulers in the Lambayeque region, beginning with a figure named Naymlap, who was said to have arrived by sea (Donnan 1978). According to the story, his descendants governed the area for nearly three centuries before the final ruler met a violent end at the hands of the people. Because this account lacks specific dates, historians have struggled to connect it directly to known archaeological cultures. However, ongoing digs in the Lambayeque Valley, especially at the Batan Grande site, have started to clarify the region’s ancient past (Shimada 1981). These discoveries support the theory that Naymlap could have been the inaugural leader of the group that ruled Batan Grande around the start of the first millennium AD, and that the gold artifacts found there bear his image.
Height: 2 3/4 inches (6.99 cm)
Weight: 3.12 dwt or 4.86 grams
Provence: Benjamin-Lustig’s, Syracuse, New York Prior to the 25th of January 1984. Donald Wonder (1938-2023), California & New Jersey ; thence by descent. Freeman’s & Hindman
Similar Pieces:
A much larger and heavily decorated version of this piece is located in the Met museum and can be found via the ascension number: 1974.271.60
A very similar ablet large version was found on the north coast, Lambayeque Valley in Batan Grande, Lima. In this instance it belongs to the Chimu culture and dates to around 1100-1300 A.D, Page 111.. C.F: Benson, Elizabeth P., William J. Conklin, and Junius Bouton Bird. 1981. Museums of the Andes. New York, N.Y.: Newsweek.