Where Is Lord of Sipán Burial Mask? See It at This Museum

Q: Where is the Lord of Sipán mask?

The mask is at the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán in Lambayeque, Peru. The museum was built specifically to house treasures from this and related tombs.

Q: How was the tomb discovered?

Archaeologist Walter Alva discovered it in 1987, just ahead of looters who had already disturbed an adjacent tomb. The find was miraculously intact.

Q: What made the discovery significant?

It proved that scenes in Moche art depicted actual rituals. The lord's regalia matched figures shown in ceramics and murals, connecting art to historical reality.

Q: How old is the burial?

The Lord of Sipán was buried around 300 CE, during the height of Moche civilization. He was approximately 40 years old at death.

The burial mask of the Lord of Sipán covered the face of a Moche warrior-priest interred around 300 CE in one of the richest tombs ever found in the Americas. The gold and copper mask features shell eyes and a fanged mouth, transforming the deceased into a supernatural being. The lord was buried with extraordinary treasures including gold and silver ornaments, weapons, and sacrificed retainers.

Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva discovered the intact tomb in 1987, just ahead of looters. The find revolutionized understanding of Moche civilization, revealing a complex society with powerful priest-kings. The lord's regalia matched figures shown in Moche art, proving that scenes once thought mythological depicted actual rituals.

The mask and tomb treasures are displayed at the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán in Lambayeque, Peru.

The mask is at the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán in Lambayeque, Peru. The museum was built specifically to house treasures from this and related tombs.

Archaeologist Walter Alva discovered it in 1987, just ahead of looters who had already disturbed an adjacent tomb. The find was miraculously intact.

It proved that scenes in Moche art depicted actual rituals. The lord's regalia matched figures shown in ceramics and murals, connecting art to historical reality.

The Lord of Sipán was buried around 300 CE, during the height of Moche civilization. He was approximately 40 years old at death.

Lord of Sipán Burial Mask

Details

The Artist

More by Ancient Moche (Unknown)

Moche Portrait Vessel

About Lord of Sipán Burial Mask

Own Art Like This