Beads Item Number: Sf659 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Small disc-shaped, red-purple shell beads with a brown stone pendant and six symmetrically spaced golden metal discs are strung on synthetic monofilament. The pendant is approximately bi-conical in shape with a hole drilled through the larger section. The gold discs have eccentrically placed holes and are much larger than the shell beads. The gold surface of the discs is pocked and has green and red deposits.
History Of Use
The purple beads are from spondylus calipher (p.c,. Alan R. Sawyer), a type of bivalve found in Ecuadorian waters. Spondylus was traded extensively to Peru over several millennia and was of such importance that it was frequently depicted in art offerings. Whole shells as well as beads and inlay are common in many periods.
Narrative
Pre-Conquest, before 1532 C.E.
Item History
What
- Name
- Beads
- Identification Number
- Sf659
- Type of Item
- bead
- Material
- plastic, silver metal ?, copper metal, gold metal, stone and shell
- Manufacturing Technique
- cut, hammered, gilded, drilled and smoothed
- Overall
- diameter 25.5 cm
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Peru
When
- Creation Date
- before 1532
- Collection Date
- between 1949 and 1966
- Ownership Date
- before May 4, 1981
- Acquisition Date
- on May 4, 1981
Other
- Item Classes
- metalwork
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0711/0161