Apart from their intrinsic interest as body ornaments worn by South American Indians, these earrings were once part of a 19th century New South Wales regional museum collection and relate to the history of dialogue and exchange between the Technological Museum and the Bathurst Museum. They have potential for use in a range of museum programs relating to topics such as traditional technologies, body decoration and precious metals.
The quadrangular form of these earrings tallies with early descriptions of the type of earrings worn by headmen of the Araucanian Indians. A more recent silver pin or 'tapu', made by the same group and used to fasten women's cloaks, has a quadrangular pendant of the same shape suspended from it. During the 19th century, Araucanian silver jewellery became more and more complex.
The Araucanian Indians of Chile, among other highland people of South America, have long established metalworking traditions that predate the coming of the Spanish. Information from the old Bathurst Museum register indicates that these earrings came from Angoll in North Concepcion, Chile.
The date of traditional work like this is difficult to assess. A very conservative early 19th century date has been assigned on the basis that according to early records, Araucanian Indian headmen used to wear quadrangular earrings like this and, during the 19th century, the decoration of Araucanian silver work became much more complex.
Early records indicate that large quadrangular earrings like these were worn by Araucanian Indian headmen in Chile. The Bathurst Register notes these earrings, donated to the Bathurst Museum by Mr Chapman Jacobs, were acquired on 16 July 1891.
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