Sterling Silver Peruvian Chakana Four Directions Necklace
This hand-wrought sterling silver chakana shaped pendant necklace bears the carvings of Andean cosmology animal symbols of the four directions: condor in the north, cougar in the east, serpent in the south and hummingbird in the west. The center contains circle contains a polished abalone. This piece is crafted in Peru.
950 sterling silver
About the creators of this necklace: Edwin Herrera Salinas, lives in Cusco, Peru with his wife Nilda, and daughter, Camila. Carrying on in the family tradition, Edwin was schooled on styles and techniques of jewelry making by his parents. Over the last ten years, Edwin became enthralled with the pre-Incan Moche Lambayeque cultures of Northern Coastal Peru and captures some of their legends and symbols in his jewelry. Originally interested in painting, Edwin dabbled in the techniques and the beautifully transparent palette of water colors which have carried over into his work as a jewelry maker.
The Chakana (or Inca Cross) symbolizes for Inca mythology what is known in other mythologies as the World Tree, Tree of Life and so on. The stepped cross is made up of an equal-armed cross indicating the cardinal points of the compass and a superimposed square. The square represents the other two levels of existence. The three levels of existence are Hana Pacha (the upper world inhabited by the superior gods), Kay Pacha, (the world of our everyday existence) and Ucu or Urin Pacha (the underworld inhabited by spirits of the dead, the ancestors, their overlords and various deities having close contact to the Earth plane). The hole through the centre of the cross is the Axis by means of which the shaman transits the cosmic vault to the other levels. It also represents Cuzco, the center of the Incan empire, and the Southern Cross constellation. The cross has 12 points and legend has it these points represent the following sayings, affirmations and life points: I live, I work, I love; The underworld, The current world, The upper world; the cougar, the eagle, the snake. The four flat sides represent the elements: Water, Air, Earth, Fire.