Ear Spools
Colima
200 BCE–200 CE
Medium
Spondylus shell and greenstone
Dimensions
3.2 × 7.6 cm (1 1/4 × 3 in.) (each)
Classification
ear ornament
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
191961
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Figures and jewelry made of spondylus (spiny oyster) shell developed as a specialization in what are today the Mexican states of Colima and Jalisco. Like greenstone, jade, and colorful feathers, this bright orange shell was a luxury item sought by maritime merchants from Ecuador and Central America, who found it in warm Pacific waters as far north as the West Mexican coast. As emblems of authority and status, exotic materials were displayed by rulers during ceremonial events. Spondylus-shell jew...