Pineapple Poporo Pre-Columbian Jewelry designed by Louis Feron

designed by Louis Feron

These earrings stem from a type of nose ornament

Like crocodiles in the aquatic realm and jaguars on land

the shape of which is characteristic of the Tayrona metalwork style of Colombia

Pineapple Poporo Pre-Columbian Jewelry designed by Louis FeronIn Pre Spanish times, the practice of chewing the leaves of the small Erithroxylum coca bush spread over a vast region; from the high plains of the Andes to the depths of the Amazon jungle. Two typical utensils are required for the "mambeo" or chewing of these leaves: a poporo and a stick. The first one is a container in which lime from seashells is kept; it helps release the components of the alkaloid when the roasted leaves are chewed. The stick is