Pendant Figure

2nd century BCE–3rd century CE
Not on view
Spondylus, the shell of a thorny oyster native to the warm coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, is a vibrant red-orange color that caused it to become a highly valued material collected and traded in ancient Mesoamerica and beyond. Primarily used as a material for carving jewelry, its preciousness and value are confirmed by its repeated presence in the tombs of important individuals. This small sculpture, probably a pendant that hung on a necklace strung with spondylus beads, depicts a bare-chested male figure wearing a turban, earspools, armbands, and loincloth. Despite the challenge of working in a material with very limited depth, the carver of this object skillfully created the illusion of volume in the face and, to a certain extent, within the body of the figure.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Pendant Figure
  • Date: 2nd century BCE–3rd century CE
  • Geography: Mexico, Mesoamerica, Colima
  • Culture: Colima
  • Medium: Shell (spondylus)
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 × W. 1 3/8 × D. 5/8 in. (7.9 × 3.5 × 1.6 cm)
  • Classification: Shell-Ornaments
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund and Gifts in honor of Carol R. Meyer, 1985
  • Object Number: 1985.260
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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