Heraldic Coat of Arms encased in wood that belonged to Pedro Pizarro

Written by Randy Shaw

Several years ago General Jose Ramon Pizarro who was many times over the great grandson of the Spanish Chronicler and Conquistador Pedro Pizarro passed away in Lima Peru his widow contacted a mutual friend to discuss an item that had descended down through the family of Pedro Pizarro.

So on my next trip to Lima my friend and I visited Mrs. Pizarro and I examined a piece of hand hammered copper wood encased heraldic item bearing the coat of arms for Pedro Pizarro and undoubtedly was made in Spain 17th century or about the time or prior to Francisco Pizarro and his cousin Pedro’s sea voyage to Peru around 1536.

I acquired this item from Mrs. Pizarro and I believe it was used as a heraldic emblem displaying the coat of arms for Pedro Pizarro that was part of a door escutcheon or another piece of furniture in Pedro Pizarro’s private chapel … she told me that her husband had received it from or I should say inherited it directly by descent from the estate of Pedro Pizarro 1515-1602…

I sent a photo to an expert on Peruvian Spanish Colonial Artifacts and his opinion was that it was definitely late 16th century or 17th century Spanish metalwork … it has the words positioned backwards “AVE MARIA” around the border which would have been possibly used as a seal ……. someone wrote with a pen many years ago.”.escudo de la familia de Pedro Pizarro”