Accession Number

1986.008.0079

Alternate object names

Cloak Pin;Pin

Creation Date

circa 1600

Description

Indigenous women of all classes used long metal pins, known as tupu in the Quechua language, to secure a cloak or shawl at about their shoulders. Functional but also decorative, these jewelry items were often employed in pairs, joined by a string or chain. Tupu were worn by women throughout the region of the Andes, including present day Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. The earliest examples date from about 300 B.C.E.

This pin segment is made of hammered silver, but different metals, such as gold, copper or bronze might be used, depending on the owner’s circumstances. 

The connection of tupu with spirituality predated the arrival of the Spanish. Traditionally, tupu were used as offerings at the huacas (shrines) of the Quechua and Inca, and added to the burials of significant women and girls, including those subjected to human sacrifice.