Extremely Rare Native American 5 Hole Stone Gorget

This museum-quality gorget is a fine-grained sandstone breastplate symbolizing rank or authority and worn at the breast by suspension from the neck; it is usually rectangular or ovoid, flat and two-holed so that it will hang horizontally. The artisan who carved this large and extremely rare quadrilateral, five-hole gorget evidently intended to create a truly unique symbol; there are four evenly-spaced drilled perforations of equal size, a fifth, much larger medial perforation and all edges have been rounded. 5″ x 3.25″ x. 5 and in excellent condition. Recovered from Waterloo County in eastern Canada, near Niagara Falls, and previously number “56” in the Bates Collection, painted in red on one edge. Is attributed to the Eastern Woodlands culture. If not to U.