**First Time At Auction**

Native American, Southern United States, Caddo / Mississippian culture, ca. 900 to 1450 CE. A collection of over 50 beads hand-carved from white shell with 3 larger pendant beads along the strand and at the center. The beads are collected and strung together in a balanced arrangement in modern times on a cord. Each bead is of a short barrel or thick discoidal form and exhibits both white and brown hues, and the two large accent beads at the sides are incised with linear markings. The use of shells in Mississippian culture was an important part of ritual and status, some ocean shell artifacts traveled hundreds of miles inland- their spirals were cosmological symbols of the circle of life. Size (strand doubled): 28" L (71.1 cm); (pendant bead): 1.65" L x 0.75" W (4.2 cm x 1.9 cm)

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

Any item originating from Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian cultures falls under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and is not eligible for international shipping, and can only be shipped within the United States.
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#171314

Natural pitting, chips, and losses to shells. Strung in modern times on a modern cord. Not recommended for wearing due to chalky surface of beads