Chimú Spondylus Shell Beads and Stone Amulets

Pre-Columbian era, Chimú culture, c. 800-1470AD, Moche Valley, Trujillo, Peru.

Fantastic small-sized strand of tiny seed beads carved from spondylus shell fragments. These ancient disc-shaped beads (known as chaquiras), now re-strung on modern cotton cord, have beautiful variations of color ranging from salmon, violet and coral to intense orange. In addition with delicately carved green stone amulets, bright carnelian beads, and dotted copper alloy bead.

Spondylus, a marine bivalve, also known as "thorny oyster", held important ceremonial and ritual significance to many of the prehistoric cultures in the Americas, with trading of the highly prized beads and shells extending into Chile as well as North America. Spondylus is found in the tropical waters off the coast of what is now Peru’s northernmost territory, but more commonly it was harvested off the coast of Ecuador and points farther north. Known as ‘Mullu’ or 'Muyu' by the Incas, spondylus were symbols of elite status, abundance and land fertility for many Pre-Columbian cultures. Referred to as "the daughters of the sea, the mother of all waters," these sacred shells were stored in springs, wells, and other sources of water to ensure a continued supply of life-giving water. Spondylus valves were also placed in tombs, and used as ceremonial offerings in agricultural fields in the hope of promoting an abundant harvest. These shells were more valuable than gold or even silver, and became known as ‘red gold’. 

Excellent condition. Age-related wear with a weathered surface. Strand c. 11,0cm long. Individual bead size approx. 0,1cm-1,5cm. 

Provenance: From the estate of Paul Ragnar Wedendal Sr. & Paul Wedendal Jr. Collected in the 1940's to 1950's.

References and further reading:

The Spirit of Ancient Peru: Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera, Katherine Berrin and Larco Museum, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Red Gold – A Story of Sacred Shells, Stories from the Museum Floor, Manchester Museum, June 22, 2018. (https://wp.me/p3KeoT-4Y3)

Thorny Oysters: The Daughters of the Sea, Joanne Pillsbury, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, August 22, 2016. (https://www.metmuseum.org/articles/design-for-eternity-thorny-oysters)

Chimú, Encyclopedia of Prehistory, Melvin Ember & Peter N. Peregrine (eds), Vol. 7 : South America (1 ed.), Springer, 2001.

"Spondylus in South American Prehistory" in Spondylus in Prehistory: New Data and Approaches, Benjamin Carter, Ed. Fotis Ifantidis and Marianna Nikolaidou, BAR International Series 2216, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2011: 63-89.