Vtg Colonial Wedding Chachal Pierced Silver Beads & Non Pierced Beads Necklace

Vtg Colonial Wedding Chachal Pierced Silver Beads & Non Pierced Silver Beads Necklace Made In Guatemala Indigenous Jewelry 80"

This one of a kind Guatemalan necklace is from our large collection of vintage jewelry. We purchased this necklace in Guatemala 1971.

Fantastic folk art in a stunning presentation, totally handmade.

The Mayans inhabited a large portion of what is now Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and five states of Mexico: Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Campeche and Chiapas. It is called a "chachal"--Quiché for necklace--and they have been made by Mayan peoples since Colonial times. The beads are often separated by coins and or milagros. Most chachals are from Guatemala or Chiapas, Mexico, and this piece is made with antique beads. These are low silver content; the pendant tested as coin silver, which is 800 or less. We know this piece was acquired in the 1970s, but identifying the exact age it was made, given the use of antique beads, is very hard to do.