Images
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=29C45AF47809A4D1308B5CE3D7CA51DB67376F5D6CA92AD5CCC113269BA31A32&s=24247294&se=1874935360&v=3&f=1950.567_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=9293F8FB491236BD327D7D36714C07DCA020BACA7E845D25DB2A624A4488BCEF&s=24247294&se=1874935360&v=1&f=%5C1950.567_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=204A2BB47C7DEE29CBF4AC1FC1466885C9AA4FBD850A60D465F1E85D6B9914CD&s=24247294&se=1874935360&v=1&f=%5C1950.567det01_o2.jpg
Oct 14, 2011
Oct 14, 2011
Shell with Inlaid Feline
Shell with Inlaid Feline
100 BC-700
Peru, South Coast, Nasca style
(100 BC-AD 700)
Spondylus shell with shell, stone, and gold inlay
Overall: 7.5 x 7.4 cm (2 15/16 x 2 15/16 in.)
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen 1950.567
Location
Download and Share
Description
This ornament is made of a spondylus shell, from which the exterior surface has been carved away to reveal a layer of bright orange. The pampas cat inlaid on the surface in multicolored shell and stone has bean-shaped spots on his body, and grasps a gold gourd or fruit. In both Paracas and Nasca art, the small, non-domesticated pampas cat is strongly associated with beans and other crops. Perhaps it was thought to guard the fields from rodents and other pests.
Contact us
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.