Pendant Figure

Unknown

2nd century BCE–3rd century CE · Shell (spondylus) · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

2nd century BCE–3rd century CE

Medium

Shell (spondylus)

Culture

Colima

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Purchase, Rogers Fund and Gifts in honor of Carol R. Meyer, 1985