South California Coast Chumash Serpentine Pendent

17th-19th Century

.375" H x 3" L x 1' W with Drill Hole

Hand Carved from Serpentine Stone into an Oblong Pendent with a Hole in One End

In Very Good Condition

Chumash (and related Southern California coastal/proto-Chumash) stone pendants and ornaments include examples made from serpentine/serpentinite, though steatite (soapstone) and shell are more commonly documented.
The Chumash traditionally occupied coastal areas of present-day Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties (and Channel Islands), with related or overlapping groups further south. They produced a range of personal ornaments and ritual items, including pendants, beads, and charmstones (plummet-like objects sometimes perforated or grooved for suspension).