The nose ornaments in this exhibition are nothing short of sumptuous! Whether with pendants, crab-shaped, bimetal, rounded, hammered, these decorations either stand alone or form part of majestic ensembles. They’re sometimes so big that they mask almost the entire face! “These were important jewels in pre-Inca cultures. In 2006 , they discovered 42 of them in the tomb of the Lady of Cao*, sovereign of the Moche civilization. But until now, they haven’t been the subject of any scientific study,” says Carole Fraresso, the exhibition’s curator. Dating back several millennia BC, these nose ornaments herald the ultra-contemporary fashion for face jewelry.

*Discover this tomb during the trip to Peru organized with Carole Fraresso and TFJP, next October.