Pair of golden earrings with Recuay Dragon

Pair of earrings decorated with the mythical creature of the "Recuay Dragon", or "crested dragon", a figure with feline and serpent features, which has been part of the Andean iconography since the 1th century BC, whitin an area that goes from the Northern Coast of Peru to the Cordillera Blanca, where the small city of Recuay is located - whence the creature's name comes from. Often the dragon is also represented on ritual objects used by local élite and on signs that symbolize élite's power, probably in relation to their ability to communicate with the forces of Nature. The metal from which the earrings are made of - named "tumbaga" by the spanish conquistadores - is an alloy of gold and copper, used for the manufacture of jewelry, small statues and decorative objects.