± 1100 to ± 1450

The Chimú people are best known for their distinctive monochromatic (= whole-colored) pottery and fine metalwork of copper, gold, bronze, silver and tumbaga (= alloy of copper and gold). Using copper, arsenic bronze, silver and gold, metalsmiths were able to make cups, plates, and jewelry for the aristocracy. Their work shows a high degree of metallurgical skill such as soldering, casting, coating, and stamping.

They obtained these metals in local laundries and as a commodity with other cities. They developed a wide variety of techniques. The works they performed were mostly for graves, within their burial traditions. Every necessary step in making an object had a section in the workshop. To make alloys, they used natural acids. The mineral was washed in earthenware containers and then ground to separate the good from the impurities. Using mineral and vegetable charcoal, they were melted in kilns. The temperature of their furnaces was raised by blowing on long pipes and fanning the flames. In addition to funerary art, the Chimú made many objects for ceremonial or everyday use.

Of all the animals that appear in ancient Peruvian art, the cat is the most present. All cultures revered some type of cat, which varied from region to region. The jaguar, the largest South American cat, is often depicted and recognizable by its spots. Due to his hunting technique, the jaguar was an appropriate symbol for decapitation. Felines were symbolically associated with military, religious and political leaders. The graves of the elite were often filled with images of cats.

The symbol was also incorporated into their pottery, textiles, jewelry, and other ornaments. Cats may also have represented ancestors or humans who have gone to the afterlife.