Inca Copper-Alloy Tupu (Dress Pin)
Inca Empire, Late Horizon, ca. 1400–1532 CE

An authentic Inca copper-alloy tupu, a traditional Andean dress pin used by women to secure garments such as the acsu and lliclla. This example features a distinctive double-spiral head above a triangular body and long tapering shaft, a form associated with Inca-period personal adornment and status display.

Comparable spiral-headed tupu forms are illustrated in Cobre del Antiguo Perú: The Copper of Ancient Peru, including a closely related example of nearly identical design. Similar examples are also represented in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where a related tupu is attributed to the Inca period.
Tupus served both practical and symbolic functions within Andean society and are among the most recognizable metal objects of the Inca Empire. The elegant spiral motif and refined construction reflect the sophisticated metalworking traditions of the Late Horizon period.

Culture: Inca
Date: ca. 1400–1532 CE
Material: Copper Alloy
Dimensions: 

Provenance:
Ex Bruno Wassermann Collection (1920–1959).
Ex Herbert Frey Collection (1959–1994).
Sold by Joel L. Malter Galleries, Encino, California, December 14, 1994, to Paul Randazzo.
Accompanied by a copy of the original Joel L. Malter Galleries receipt.