Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Mixtec, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A collection of ancient copper and shell artifacts from Mesoamerica - 5 large copper implements and 5 carved shell beads and charms, one still attached to copper rings. Of note are large earspools - one with a fragment of cotton cloth still attached, and tweezers! The axe or hoe shaped blades are a form of currency known as tajaderos, the rolled neck on one may have served as suspension loop. One shell bead is carved into a bird, and the rest are flattened with incised concentric motifs. Metallurgy was introduced into the region around 900 CE and many Mesoamerican cultures used metals for ornamentation, though their tools and weaponry remained of a Neolithic style. Many experts agree that Mixtec metal wares set the standard for Mesoamerican cultures. Size of largest crescent blade: 4.2" L x 3" W (10.7 cm x 7.6 cm)

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection

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#176290

Losses and chips to all copper pieces. Active flaking to surface layers and mineral deposits. Chips nicks to shells. No repairs of restoration.