Pre-Columbian, Colombian, Tairona, ca. 10th to 16th century CE. A wonderful gold (54% gold or ~ 12 karat) labret or lip plug presenting an attractive design comprised of a hemispheric face with an open channel across the center highlighted by a rope patterned border, all surrounded by an openwork border of circular motifs. The Pre-Columbian Tairona, a group of chiefdoms in a mountainous part of Colombia, are renowned for their distinctive gold pieces. See, for example, the catalogue from the British Museum exhibit of "Beyond El Dorado: Power and Gold in Ancient Colombia" (2013). Although gold was not a form of currency in Pre-Columbian South America, it had great symbolic power, used by elites in life and in death to demonstrate their place in society. Composition: 54% gold, 4% silver, 31% copper, Weight: 4.2 grams Size: .75" W x .875" H (1.9 cm x 2.2 cm)
See a similar example at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - https://www.google.com/search?q=tairona+gold+labret&client=firefox-b-1-ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmpt_2hb7eAhVM04MKHQZtDugQsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1657&bih=775#imgrc=k5yYHX9BHwRqxM:
See another similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession # 2005.409.2) - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/319630
Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s
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#140735
Condition
Minor surface wear commensurate with age. Slight denting to plug on verso. Missing backing for the plug. Otherwise excellent.