Featured Antique Native American Disc Necklace,Birds,Mayan or Actez Fifures

I know this is an old Native American Disc necklace,but it has 2 birds and 2 Mayan or Actez figures.I'm not sure if it's shells or what.I have a few but this is a strange one to me.

 

Looks like a fairly recent puka shell necklace to me.

Debora

 

They are not puka shells, the OP's have been shaped by humans.

 

The loop pendant at the bottom is not a shape I've seen used in modern Native American jewelry. Navajo jewelry makers at road stands or tourist spots use a much more delicate set of carved bird beads, and again, I've never seen human effigial figures used either. Usually animal fetishes. This would be more typical:

 

I would assume this necklace is not antique in this form, but perhaps a reuse of older heishe shell beads in a newer assemblage.

 

I'm wondering, @2manybooks @antiquelover69, if further dissection might be useful (at least it would help me). It doesn't seem to have sufficient weathering to be ancient, nor is "recent" modern. It may be an assemblage, and certainly must be given the crimpings and findings. So do you recognize any parts, e.g. the pendant/beads, e.g., from Pacific Coast tribes? "Aztec" is mentioned, but the overall piece just doesn't look ancient to me, nor 'recent'... seems the loop pendant has the best 'potential'.

"inconclusive"???

 

If I am remembering correctly (which becomes a more problematic assumption with each year ), the shell beads look like Californian. But similar ones might be made elsewhere. The little figures and the pendant look to me like clay, and the birds look like bone. All of these could have come from any bead store in the last 20 years, made in India, China, or elsewhere. As you note, the fishing line and other fittings look quite recent.

 

I agree, the shell beads don't look very old. The birds could be clay as well, they and the effigy beads are cute.
But as @2manybooks said, shops that sell 'ethnic' beads sell similar beads.

It could be a Native American/pre-Hispanic inspired home made necklace, made from an existing heishi necklace, and some clay beads added for a nice touch. Just guessing.

 

The heishi (thin disks) are nautilus shell, the fetishes hand made clay/pottery. Most likely came from Mexico/Central America. Late 1970s/early 1980s. Pretty common to find necklaces like this at flea markets in Santa Fe back in the day. They were an effort to compete with Navajo jewelry.

 

The reason I put the word "Aztec is because the little figures look like the old Aztec.I'm not sure how old this piece is.

 

I'd say late 70s/early 80s. The fetishes are wee handmade clay figures; very cool, but based on them being with the necklace, not old, old. Bet, however, it's possible a person made them who may have Aztec ancestors?