Male Narrator: About fourteen hundred years ago, a Moche ruler now known as the Lord of Sipán reigned over much of the Lambayeque Valley of northern Peru. When he died, his splendid tomb was filled with hundreds of luxurious objects, a mark of his eminence. Joanne Pillsbury:
[rhythmic drums and rattles evoking period and mood]
Joanne Pillsbury: This was the front part of an ear ornament. It would have had a shaft behind it, and that shaft would have been inserted in a stretched earlobe. Ear ornaments such as these were one of the primary markers of identity and status in the Ancient Andes. [music ends] The ones worn by the Lord of Sipán are some of the most beautiful works of art in gold from all of the Ancient Americas.
Male Narrator: The central figure here is a warrior whose regalia closely matches the Lord of Sipán’s burial finery. [percussion music evoking period and mood] Notice the crescent headdress, the nose ornament, the club and shield he holds, and the rattles around his waist. Each piece is made of sheet metal, and remarkably, all but the headdress are removable.
[music ends]
Joanne Pillsbury: Perhaps my favorite detail is the owl necklace that he wears. Each little owl has these almost microscopic perforations for stringing. Extraordinarily fine workmanship here.
Male Narrator: Turquoise was a rare material. Its rich blue color held so much symbolic importance that the Moche imported it from far away.
Joanne Pillsbury: It speaks to the power of the Lord of Sipán, [rhythmic drums and rattles evoking period and mood] of such individuals of their extraordinary control over resources, that these materials could be brought in from great distances, but also control over human resources, that the Lord of Sipán could attract the very best artists of the realm to work for him.
[music ends]
