Pre-Columbian, Columbia, Sinu / Tairona culture, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A beautiful necklace comprised of ancient shell and ceramic disc beads with a remarkable tumbaga nose ring as the central pendant. The crescent shaped ornament is made from a hammered sheet of 59% to 60% gold (equivalent to 14K+) that is molded to curve inward, with tapered ends. The curving, convex shape gives the appearance of solid gold when viewed from front on, but the hollow groove would certainly alleviate the strain on the wearer's septum! This is impressive for its size and preserved quality. The beads are also ancient and carved from conch shell, greenstones, and redware pottery, gathered together on modern cotton strands to wear this ensemble today! Size of strands: 16.5" L (41.9 cm); gold ornament: 2.75" L x 0.6" W (7 cm x 1.5 cm); gold quality: 59% to 60% (equivalent to 14K+); silver quality: 11%

The pre-Columbian Tairona, a group of chiefdoms in a mountainous part of Colombia, are renowned for their distinctive gold pieces. These ornaments held great symbolic power in life and in death - a prominent nose ornament would certainly mark the wearer as an elite member of society and would probably be buried with the deceased. The brilliant sheen served as a metaphor for the sun, regarded as a source of both light and life.

Provenance: private British Columbia, Canada collection, gifted from aunt in Tucson, Arizona, USA, acquired prior to 1994

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.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#182693

Minor nicks to beads, nose ring is excellent with only minor indentations. Strung in modern times on modern cotton threads with a brass hook clasp. Remains of mineral deposits on interior of gold pendant groove. Wearable!