102 BULLETIN 134, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



heavy gold ornaments wore holes in the ear lobe and often actually 

 split the lobe into halves. Earrings of men and women are some- 

 times provided with the engraved figures of turtles, roosters, or 

 other objects. 



A large gold earring 6.7 cm. (2.6 in.) in diameter and of the 

 thinness of paper was collected by Markham among the Tule and 

 presented to the National Museum (pi. 28, Xo. 3, Cat. Xo. 326808, 

 U.S.N.M.). The earring is of solid gold, hammered and polished to 

 a smooth, even surface. The metal is well wrought, showing but 

 little trace of vesiculation. The method of attaching the ornament 

 to the ear lobe is by means of a circular loop of gold wire closely 

 wrapped with fine fibrous cord. The wire loop is flattened at each 

 end into a surface broad enough for its attachment to the gold disk 

 earring near its outer circumference b}^ means of small gold rivets. 

 An ornamental design in the form of the letter T has been formed 

 near the circumference of the disk just under the loop by punching 

 out adjoining segments of the disk. Journeymen goldbeaters come 

 to the San Bias coast and make such earrings for the natives by 

 beating down American gold money " fish hawk money " preferred 

 by the Tule for its lustre. 



The Choco Indians of southeastern Panama are related culturally 

 to the adjoining Choco tribes of the Cauca River valley of northern 

 Colombia. The ear pendants carried by the Colombian Choco are 

 long wooden tubular ear-plugs. A pair of these, carved from a wood 

 block and covered at one end with silver disks is in the National 

 Museum (Cat. Xo. 326750, U.S.X.M.. pi. 28, Xo. 1). The ear-plug 

 is 8.7 cm. (3.4 in.) long and about one centimeter in diameter 

 throughout its course except at one end where it enlarges to a bulb- 

 ous knob 4.8 cm. (1.8 in.) in diameter, convexlv ovoid on its outer 

 surface and tapering like a funnel on its inner surface, which is 

 prolonged into the tubular plug piercing the ear lobe. A silver 

 disk of thin rolled silver is mounted over the outer surface of the 

 bulbous end of the plug by means of cutting short segments from 

 the circumference of the silver disk and then bending these trian- 

 gular fillets over the lateral edge of the wooden bulb. Ear-plugs 

 such as these are worn by both men and women. 



Clothing.: — It is probable that the employment of ornamentation 

 and of clothing among the Indians of southeastern Panama pro- 

 ceeded synchronously; the first protective garments being those 

 shielding the loin region, while among the first ceremonial garments 

 were those articles worn during the dance. Heraldic ornamental 

 designs; distinctive tribal designations painted on the body or on 

 bark cloth; amulets, charms, and fetish carvings carried suspended 

 from the neck; ornaments suspended from the neck, shoulders and 

 elswhere about the body to lend individual distinction to the bearer; 



