880 - Three silver ‘tupu’, spoon-shaped garment pins, a status symbol of the indigenous Andean peoples of South America and an expression of cultural rebellion, 18th/19th century.

Three silver ‘tupu’, spoon-shaped garment pins, a status symbol of the indigenous Andean peoples of South America and an expression of cultural rebellion, 18th/19th century. ‘Tupu’ or ‘Tupo’ were traditional pins used to fasten shawls, worn by the women of the Mapuche, the indigenous people of Chile and Peru; the long, needle-shaped handles of the ‘spoons’ were later bent back into spoon-shaped handles; weight Total 130 g, length approx. 13-15 cm Following the major indigenous uprisings in the 1780s (Túpac Amaru II inter alia), the Spanish colonial authorities banned traditional clothing and the symbols of the Incas. Local women disguised their garment pins by making the pin head resemble an everyday European silver spoon - to the Spanish inspectors, a European accessory; to the indigenous population, a symbol of silent protest and the survival of their identity. Indigenous silversmiths often used actual European silver spoons, forging the spoon’s handle into a needle of considerable length and decorating the bowl. In this way, a valuable piece of jewellery was created from existing materials.