**Originally Listed At $150**

South America, Bolivia, Post-Colonial Period, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A silver tupu pin with glass beads and dangling coins, an Andean version of a brooch or shawl pin that has been used for nearly a millennia, the style and material changing with colonization. The indigenous peoples acquired silver from the Spanish in the form of coins, spoons, and other items - the finial top on this tupu might have been a candle snuffer originally- these objects were then re-forged or melted down to make tupus, like the one we see here. The dangling coins have been punched for suspension and discernable years are 1871, 1852, and 1817. Size: 11.5" L x 3.3" Diameter (29.2 cm x 8.4 cm); silver quality: 66%; weight: 60 grams.

Provenance: ex-Appleby International Art, Escondido, California, USA

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#174927

Tearing to openwork peripheries. Repaired with adhesive, visible on obverse face of openwork. Missing beads as shown. Areas of green patina and dark toning throughout.