Ceremonial axe "tumi" ·  South America, Inca · ID: 3036735

Description

metal alloy, chased handle, dam., small missing parts, traces of corrosion;
“tumi” is distinctly characterized by a semi-circular blade, made of either bronze, copper, gold-, silver alloy or wood, usually made of one piece and used by some Inca and pre-Inca cultures in the Peruvian Coastal Region. In Andean mythology, the Moche, Chimu and Incas were descendants of the Sun, which had to be worshiped annually with an extravagant celebration. During this ceremony, the High Priest would sacrifice a completely black or white lama. Using a “tumi”, he would open the animal’s chest and with his hands pull out its throbbing heart, lungs and viscera, so he could foretell the future.
“Tumi” were produced for ritual use and for burials of elite members of society.

The object Ceremonial axe “tumi” with the object ID 3036735 was last part of the auction 76th tribal art auction at March 22, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 89.

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Comparing literature

Meyer, Roger, Alt-Peru, Leben-hoffen-sterben, Detmold 1987, p. 139