H16.2403

• north american indian

Necklace, plates of land tortoise "This is the only one I have ever seen. A desert tortoise lives in Cahuilla area."(Lowell Bean, 7/92) "These are the skutes which compose the outer layer of the tortoise shell. They are keratin, whereas the inner layer is bone. The size of the skutes indicates that they are from a desert tortoise."(Tom Steller, 7/92)

From the History Information Station:"Object: Necklace made from the shell of the land tortoise. It was collected among the Cahuilla and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century.History: Both men and women took special care with their appearance. They painted and stained their skin, carefully arranged their hair, and wore handsome knecklaces such as this one."