**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Mexico City region, Aztec, ca. 1300 to 1500 CE. A collection of five ceramic ear spools and one ceramic pellet from a blow gun. Three of the spools are openwork; the other two more plug-like. Some scholars have argued that the stretching of earlobes - done progressively through spool sizes to limit tearing and pain - may have been a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood for the Aztec (and other Mesoamerican peoples); ear spools may also have been thought of as an extension of the ear, allowing the wearer access to unheard things. Size of largest: 1.5" W x 0.65" H (3.8 cm x 1.7 cm)

Provenance: private Stagecoach, Nevada, USA collection; acquired from 1985 to present from galleries such as Arte Primitivo, Art For Eternity, Butterfields, and Riverbend Gallery

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#128887

The large white one has some small losses as shown; the small black one has a chip from one side. Others all have wear commensurate with age. Two have handwritten collection numbers on them.