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Peg figure

Culture Group: Cañari
Culture: Canari
Date: 500–1500 CE
Medium: Shell, mica
Height: 3 1/4 inches (8.3 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ira H. Levy
Label Text:Although the function of this carved shell effigy is unknown, the lower left side is highly polished as if it had been burnished or rubbed against a hard surface. The reflective quality of its inlaid eyes lends visual power to this small abstract form. The shell from which this object was made probably was traded in from the coast, the Cañari people being known for their long distance economic networks. As with bone, shell was frequently shaped into myriad forms throughout Ecuador and Colombia.

Object number: 1976.5.17
In Collection(s)