Ceremonial Knives or Tumis

Room 9, Vitrine 111

Metal
Peruvian Northern Coast
1 AD – 1532 AD
ML100594-ML100597, ML100674-ML100678, ML100718, ML100733-ML100737, ML100772, ML101447, ML101593-ML101618.

Knives, or tumis, were represented in depictions of mythological scenes of combat as the weapons used by supernatural beings to decapitate their adversaries.

Ceremonial knives adopted a number of forms over time. Some were crowned by sculptural representations of animals, people or ritual activities. These pieces were made using the lost wax or casting technique.