MAG Collection - Pair of Earspools

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Pair of Earspools

1000-1470
Precolumbian
2 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (6.4 x 6.4 cm)

Chimú artist
Peru

Chimú; made in Peru

Object Type: Jewelry

Medium and Support: Silver

Credit Line: Marion Stratton Gould Fund

Accession Number: 1975.146a-b

Location: Currently on view

Link to this object

Although body piercing and tattooing may seem like a novel concept, it was a common practice and a sign of beauty and status in many cultures throughout the Ancient Americas. This matched pair of earspools once adorned the earlobes of a nobleman from the Chimú Empire. By wearing ever-larger ear plugs, ear lobes can be stretched out to accommodate such thick posts. These imposing earspools may have been secured with ties affixed either to a headdress or around the neck.
[Gallery label text, 2009]

Provenance

David Gallery, Pittsford, NY; purchased from them by the Gallery in 1975

Keywords Click a term to view the records with the same keyword

Pre-Columbian art of Central & South America

Chimu

1000-1400

jewelry

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