A Rare And Early Spiny Oyster Shell Pendant With Turquoise

Item: 1342

Origin: Early historic Pueblo
Date: 1600 – 1900

Media: Spiny oyster shell and turquoise

Dimensions: 2.25″ wide, 2.2″ tall, .75″ deep

Description: This early historic shell with turquoise has amazing age and patina to it.  The richness of the colors and the telling of age is rarely matched.  Typically these early shells wear covered in mosaics of turquoise with a center stone, often a deep red color.  This example is pared down to the utter simplicity of one stone anchoring the whole shell. The turquoise appears to be original to it, with great wear on the surface.  The stone is a bright and beautiful blue, and complementary to the orange in the shell.  There are two holes in it.  The upper one would appear to be the point to feed material through to hang on one’s neck.  The lower hole may be natural, but it appears to have the shape of a bow drilled hole on both sides.

Condition:  Condition is excellent with no cracks, breaks or restoration.

Price: SOLD