Necklace with Human Faces

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Necklace with Human Faces

Artist: Unknown

Culture: Tiwanaku-Wari

Period: Pre-Columbian

Date: ca. A.D. 1000

Medium: Wood, spondylus shell, other unidentified shell, and stone (possibly turquoise)

Dimensions:

h. 9 in. (22.9 cm)

Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay A. Duff

Object number: 2004.25.2

Provenance: with Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay A. Duff, Kerville, TX by 2004; by gift to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 2004

Label Text

In the central Andes, finely worked jewelry was crafted of precious shells such as orange spondylus, purple mussel, and iridescent mother of pearl. The small mosaic inlays were affixed to shell, bone, or wood backings with an organic adhesive made from the resin of trees or plants. Mimicking motifs on textiles and ceramics, jewelry depicted humans, abstract designs, or sacred felines and other animals. Adornments of this quality would likely have belonged to high-status individuals. (Michelle Rich 2018)

On view

The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.

Artwork

Necklace with Human Faces

Necklace with Human Faces