Pair of Ear Ornaments, c. early 1st century, 1-13/16 x 1-5/8 x 3/4 in. ( x x cm), Shell, Thailand, 1st century BCE - 1st century CE, Before the adoption of jade, metal, and beads for fine jewelry, in much of Southeast Asia polished shell was the material of choice for personal ornamentation. Excavations reveal that shell ornaments were not funerary offerings; instead, they were adornments worn during people's lifetimes. The use of shell also provides evidence of an active maritime trade, as inland shells would have been too small and thin to fashion into jewelry.

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