How was the process of making the nose rings of the Lady of Cao?

With the discovery of the funerary bundle of the Lady of Cao, several pieces with great historical value were also found. Among them, the famous nose rings of the leader of the Mochica culture.  

Currently, we can visit a sample of 33 metal nose rings, made of gold and silver, in room 6 of the Site Museum in the El Brujo Archaeological Complex. This space exhibits the objects found inside the funerary bundle of this famous personage. 

What are nose rings and who used them? 

Nose rings were nasal accessories that covered the mouth and used to be worn mainly by elite personages. They were made with precious metals and through very complex techniques for the time.  

The elaboration process 

The elaboration of these pieces was complex.  

First, the goldsmith heated the metal ingots until they were malleable, then these were hammered to obtain thin sheets that were subsequently cut to achieve the desired shape.  

Finally, once the metallurgical process was finished, final treatments were carried out, such as polishing faces and inlay turquoise spondylus to represent the eyes of the personages and other of their characteristics. 

It is important to highlight the extraordinary use of gold and silver in a single piece in the nose rings of the Lady of Cao. Researchers indicate that, to achieve this very complex effect, the Mochica used two main techniques: 

• Pasting: through this procedure, two metal pieces were joined by special adhesives. 
  
  
• Welding: process for joining thin plates by concentrating fire through thin tubes. 

To know more details about the nose rings of the Lady of Cao, we invite you to learn more about the discovery of the Lady of Cao, here: https://www.elbrujo.pe/senora-de-cao-historia