Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A charming and wearable pair of bird earrings made from Spondylus shell. Both present a simple stylized form with a rounded body and a tab shaped tail. The heads have circular recessed eyes and protruding beaks. They are drilled laterally through the bodies and outfitted with modern 14K gold-plated sterling ear hooks to be wearable. Spondylus shell is a sacred material, and these birds may have originally been special pendants or amulets to bestow protection upon the wearer. Size of bird: 1.675" L x .5" W (4.3 cm x 1.3 cm)

The Spondylus shell is native to coastal waters of South America and was considered sacred by many cultures. Mesoamerican divers gathered the Spondylus from the depths of the Pacific ocean as offerings to Pachamama, goddess of fertility. At the Inca site, Marcahuamachuco, about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of spondylus shells and fragments were recovered at a shrine! The Spondylus carries numerous symbolic meanings; a symbol of fertility and elite social status, it was also believed to be an omen of rain, warning the indigenous people of El Nino. In fact, the Spondylus shell only appears when the water becomes warmer during December - the time of the El Nino Current – immediately before the rainy season.

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s

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#163603

Natural ossification and pitting of shell surface. Chips and nicks to peripheries. Fitted with modern gold-plated wires and ear hooks to be wearable.