Pectoral Ornament

c. 1200–1519

Mexico, Guerrero, Ichcatiopan, Mixtec or Aztec style

Medium

gold, jadeite

Measurements

Overall: 8 x 7.2 cm (3 1/8 x 2 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of James C. Gruener in memory of his wife, Florence Crowell Gruener 1983.190

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Location

Not on view

Description

This extraordinary pendant consists of a conch shell section carved in jade, enclosed in a delicate gold frame with tiny dangling bells. This symbol was worn by the deity Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent), a culture hero credited in one myth with creating human life by sprinkling his blood on ground bones. The pectoral may have been worn by a priest, or by a ceremonial impersonator of Quetzalcoatl.