A rare Sumerian Copper Pin with Lapis Snake Finial, ca. 3rd millennium BCE Jewelry - Gemstones 1994 Power of the Land

1994 Power of the Land

Queensland

also known as Paquimé

Provenance:  Private Texas collection

newspapers

A rare Sumerian Copper Pin with Lapis Snake Finial, ca. 3rd millennium BCE Jewelry - Gemstones 1994 Power of the LandA long copper pin with a blue green patina over a red brown oxide ground. The finial is carved from deep blue lapis lazuli and takes the form of a compact, stylized coiled snake with an enlarged head marked by simple incised lines. Pins of this type served as luxury dress or hair fasteners, with the carved finial functioning as a visible ornament that signaled personal status. The combination of a metal shaft and a hard stone finial is well documented