Getty Center Excursion
At the Getty center, there was an exhibit named Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas. The types of items on display were typically archeological finds such as clothing, decorations and others that are found in South America. They were organized by different groups of people, such as the Moche, Olmecs, and Aztecs. The main objects that attracted my eyes were the flashy Octopus Frontlet and Tumi knife. The Octopus Frontlet is of Moche origin, found in La Mina, Peru. It was made during AD 300-600, and is made of gold, chrysocolla and shells. The Frontlet depicts a face that, due to the iconography of the Moche culture, can be identified as symbolizing the Spider Decapitator. The face has two clawed feet and tentacles that all end in catfishes. Although gold was considered valuable in Europe, other materials were considered valuable over gold in South America. Materials such as feathers were considered more valuable than gold and were used to show luxu...