Medallion, beads, and spindle whorls

This medallion and dozens of smaller beads and spindle whorls arrived at the museum strung on modern cord. Pierced with a hole at the top, it could have been suspended from a necklace or attached to a backing, such as a textile. It comes from Peru’s north coast and was made in the late pre-Hispanic period; the dates of the smaller beads are less clear.