Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Ear Spool

late 15th–early 16th century
Not on view
Ear ornaments were worn by prominent personages of both sexes in many cultures in ancient Peru. Among the Inka, only noblemen wore such ornaments; their substantially distended earlobes led the Spanish to call them orejones (big ears). Since the Spanish melted down all the gold and silver jewelry that came into their hands, little Inka precious metalwork survives. These rare ornaments are spool-shaped and have curved-in sides for better placement in the earlobes; they have gold outlays.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ear Spool
  • Date: late 15th–early 16th century
  • Geography: Peru
  • Culture: Inca (?)
  • Medium: Gold, silver
  • Dimensions: D. 3/4 x Diam. 1 7/8 in. (1.9 x 4.8 cm)
  • Classification: Metal-Ornaments
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.206.1079
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Male Figure, Ceramic, slip, Chancay
Male Figure
Chancay
12th–14th century
Ear Spool, Gold, silver, Inca (?)
Ear Spool
Inca (?)
late 15th–early 16th century
Female Figure, Ceramic, slip, Chancay
Female Figure
Chancay
12th–14th century
Ear Spool, Gold, Greater Coclé
Ear Spool
Greater Coclé
450–1000 CE
Feathered Tunic, Chimú artist(s), Cotton, feathers, Chimú
Feathered Tunic
Chimú artist(s)
1400 - 1700 CE

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.