Jaguar (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Individuals with high social status, such as priests, shamans, warriors or rulers, wore images of jaguars to assist in the transition between human and animal. Most likely part of a large necklace or belt, the two gold jaguars in this case may have been strung together with the six other known copies located in various museums around the world. Inside each jaguar is a pebble that created a rattling sound similar to a jaguar’s growl. To construct gold jaguars, Moche goldsmiths pressed thin sheets of gold into molds and then used different assembly techniques to piece together each part of the animal. The laborious process and the high quality of work may indicate their use in rituals or ceremonies.
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