Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima culture, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A hand-carved Spondylus shell pendant, with a beige and orange hue, the overall form of a purging stick, and zoomorphic features. The piece is carved with a pointed snout, a curved body, and a pointed tail end. The head is carved with round relief eyes that are positioned to the sides and two incised circles which may be nostrils, giving this zoomorph the reptilian visage of an alligator, crocodile, or caiman. Given its shape, it may have been used by shamans as a purging stick, prompting a literal physical purging as well as a symbolic spiritual purging during certain ceremonies. The Spondylus shell was a sacred mythical shell among various Pre-Columbian cultures carrying numerous symbolic meanings. A symbol of fertility and elite social status, it was also believed to be an omen of rain, warning the indigenous of El Nino. A hand-drilled perforation through the neck of this piece and a modern cord with a silver plated lobster clasp makes it perfectly wearable. Size (pendant): 5.25" L x 1.375" W (13.3 cm x 3.5 cm); (cord): 20" L (50.8 cm)
Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s
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#161387
Condition
Natural pitting and ossification of shell. Loss to tip of tail. Mineral deposits. Old repair on body. In the center of the body is a perforation that may have been a natural part of the shell, but has been filled with a piece of shell that is a red and pink hue which may be an addition or old repair. Wearable and strung in modern times on a modern cord.