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Collections

Spondylus Shell with Lidded Jade Bowl600–900 CE

Not on view
Large bivalve shell coated in brick red with rough, spiny texture, open to reveal a small green patinated object with pierced holes resting inside
Open bivalve shell coated in red pigment with rough, spiny texture, containing a small green jade or stone figurine with perforations along its surface.
Spiny oyster shell with heavily textured, jagged red exterior and a glimpse of turquoise-green interior visible along the partially open hinge.
Title
Spondylus Shell with Lidded Jade Bowl
Culture
Maya
Place Made
Guatemala
Date Made
600–900 CE
Medium
Spondylus shell, jade
Dimensions
4 × 8 × 6 in. (10.16 × 20.32 × 15.24 cm)
Credit Line
Purchased with funds provided by Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number
M.2010.115.1065a-c
Classification
Organic Materials
Collecting Area
Art of the Ancient Americas
Selected Bibliography
  • Magaloni, Diana, Davide Domenici, and Alyce de Carteret. We Live in Painting: the Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2024.