Disc from an Earflare Inscied with a Figure in Contoured Pose Possibly 1200 - 1500

This earflare was carved by a Huastec artist from shell. It would have originally been one of a pair, worn as a powerful form of adornment. The disc’s surface has been carefully engraved with a sharp tool, perhaps obsidian, to depict a figure, whose contoured pose gives the object its name. Above this main image, you can also make out glyph-like motifs. The shell itself would have been sourced from the sea, requiring trade and expert craftsmanship to transform it into a polished surface ready for carving. The act of incising the shell demands precision, transforming a natural object into a medium for cultural expression. The designs, carefully etched, speak to the artist’s skill and their society’s beliefs. This earflare bridges the natural world and cultural expression, reminding us that even personal adornments carry complex narratives of labor, skill, and social exchange.