Posted on 12/11/2004 10:12:06 PM PST by FairOpinion
LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - A gold mask dating back more than 1,000 years to a pre-Inca civilization in northern Peru will be returned home next year after being turned in to police by a collector in Italy, a museum official said on Friday.
The well-preserved mask, measuring 14 inches (35 cm) long by 8.7 inches (22 cm) wide, represents the sea god Naylamp from the Sican culture, Carlos Elera, director of the National Sican Museum in Peru told Reuters by telephone.
"It's authentic. It's classic Sican, gold with deep red mercury sulfide which had religious importance in the beliefs of the ancient Peruvians," Elera said.
The Sican, or Lambayeque, culture flourished on Peru's northern coast 1,200 years ago. Countless archeological finds made the area a magnet for looters for many years.
There is no record of the mask having been stolen from any museum or private collection in Peru and Elera said it could have been taken out of the country in the 1960s or 1970s after being sold to foreign collectors by grave-robbers.
Peru's embassy in Italy said the mask was handed over by its owner after joint diplomatic and police efforts. It gave no further details.
"It's very likely it will be returned at the end of January 2005," Elera said. The mask will then be displayed in the National Sican Museum alongside some 250 other gold artifacts.
A gold mask which represents the sea god Naylamp from Sican culture, is seen in this file photo from November 2004. The mask dating back more than 1,000 yrs to a pre-Inca civilization in northern Peru will be returned home next year after being turned in to police by a collector in Italy, an official said. REUTERS/Peruvian embassy/Handout
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Licking and sticking mercury may have something to do with why they no longer exist as well. Either that or they are the early ancestors of the Democrat party...
You can have it back. You're welcome. Don't mention it, it was nothing, really.
Human sarcafise adds to that
The ancient Peruvians apparently had huge heads and flat faces.
"...put the mask on...put the mask on..."
(guess the movie)
Beautiful. Glad to see it's going home.
The only way to placate Lambay is obviously to ordain the gold with red nail polish and stapled pistachio nut shells.
Lambay really loves pistachios....
My bad,..Naylamp really loves pistachios...
You are correct! I have it on tape somewhere, recorded ages ago from AMC or TCM...but missing part of the title sequence.
If I had a second vcr I could tape it for you as a prize, lol. Or even a windows or realmedia file ( got broadband? )
KInd of a cheesy movie, but the hallucinatory scenes when he puts the mask on are quite creative..for 1961..
Actually the line was "..put the mask on NOW.."
Think of just how ugly she must have been if she had to wear this mask.....lol
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