Shell Mask Gorget

1500–1700

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This minimally carved and engraved gorget, or ornament worn at the throat, likely held religious meaning. Scholars surmise it may also have been associated with warrior societies. The object was found along the Missouri River in present-day South Dakota, and its discovery suggests a connection between the ancient Mississippian cultures and Plains people. The hole at the bottom may have originally held a feather.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Shell Mask Gorget
Date: 1500–1700
Geography: United States, South Dakota
Culture: Late Mississippian
Medium: Marine shell (lightning whelk)
Dimensions: Height: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
Width: 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Classification: Shell-Implements
Credit Line: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, Purchase: acquired as a gift by friends in honor of Fred and Virginia Merrill (2004.30)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing