Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Mixtec culture, ca. 11th to 16th century CE. A collection of approximately 180 cast copper crotal shaped bells, several shells, and remnants of fiber cords set in a modern box for display. The jangling sound of bells was part of the rituals carried out to honor the gods and these may have been worn as jewelry or attached to clothing. Coyolxauhqui, Huitzilopochtli, and Tlaloc were deities specifically associated with bells and venerated in various parts of Mesoamerica. Size of bells: 0.35" L x 0.25" W (0.9 cm x 0.6 cm); 0.8" L x 0.6" W (2 cm x 1.5 cm); case: 13.75" L x 9.5" W (34.9 cm x 24.1 cm)

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-private Arkansas, USA collection, via descent in 2021; ex-private Florida estate, USA, acquired from the 1960s to 1970s

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#176614

Losses and chips throughout and green patina. Some bells and hoops are fragments, others are fused together with age and mineral deposits. Many bells still contain clapper balls and emit sounds. Displayed in modern case.