Large Shell Pectoral

Exploring the Early Americas The Jay I. Kislak Collection

Pre-Contact America | Explorations and Encounters | Aftermath of the Encounter

Urban Landscapes | Ritual, Ceremonies, and Celebrations | Language and Context | Recording History | The Heavens and Time

Large shell pectoral with narrative scene.
Mexico. Maya-Toltec style, AD 900–1200.
Incised conch shell.
Jay I. Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (33.9)
Photo ©Justin Kerr, Kerr Associates

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The incised, delicate decorations on this large shell are of a processional scene. Figures on one side carry bowls with offerings, while on the other, a warrior with a rattlesnake heads the procession.