**Originally Listed At $300**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A trio of earspools handmade from jet black obsidian stone and pottery. The 2 obsidian spools have an hourglass profile and flat faces. The corseted midsection would balance in the ear, secured by the flared faces. The largest spool is not quite as glassy and reflective as the others and is actually highly burnished blackware pottery. Obsidian was a rare and treasured material that was difficult to obtain; traded over hundreds of miles from volcanic sources in the Sierra Madre of Mexico and Guatemala to those who could afford it. For those less wealthy and privileged, imitation using pottery was a clever way to mimic the rare obsidian. The indigenous believed that ears were the conduits for spiritual energy and consequently ancient artisans invested great skill and aesthetic style when creating ear flares such as these examples. Size: pottery spool: 0.75" Diameter x 0.5" W (1.9 cm x 1.3 cm); obsidian spool: 0.6" W x 0.5" Diameter (1.5 cm x 1.3 cm)

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

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#165656

Chips to faces of all three and some surface abrasions and scratches, but otherwise intact. The obsidian spools are highly polished with glassy surfaces.