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Three Silver Higas
Three silver higas, or amulets used to ward off the evil eye, found in a re-deposited midden context in the area of the barracks, inside the south wall of the presidio. The middle higa shows evidence of file marks, while the other two are well smoothed. The middle higa resembles an higa suspended from an earring found on a Spanish shipwreck off the coast of Florida. The other higas resemble those found on a 19th century necklace in the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The lengths of the higas, left to right, are 1.21cm, 1.35 cm, and 1.61 cm. Object conservation by Jay C. Blaine.
Photo credit: Don Sepulvado
Source: Williamson Museum, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana