Colima or Jalisco
Colima or Jalisco, Mexico
Ear Spools
INV-1919
Colima or Jalisco
Colima or Jalisco, Mexico200 BCE–200 CE
colimaamericasmesoamericanjaliscoear ornamentstone
Date
200 BCE–200 CE
Medium
Spondylus shell and greenstone
Dimensions
3.2 × 7.6 cm (1 1/4 × 3 in.) (each)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Maurice D. Galleher Endowment
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 jewelry carved with symbolic designs found in West Mexican tombs indicates the high esteem in which this valued material was held.
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