Necklace of Stone Beads
Unknown Artist
1st–mid-16th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
L. (doubled) 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm)
Classification
Beads-Ornaments
Culture
Peruvian
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Cummings, 1964
Accession Number
64.228.715
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Necklace of Stoneads*, hailing from ancient Peru and dating from the 1st to mid-16th century, a glimpse into the sophisticated ornamental traditions of pre-Columb societies. Spanning the rise and fall of cultures like the Moche, Chimú, and Inca, it reflects a time when Peru's diverse civilizations mastered stoneworking amid vast Andean empires. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, it was generously gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Cummings in 1964. Crafted entirely from stone—a durable medium prized for its perman...