The function of the openings is unknown. They were probably used for suspension or fastening. Quilter (2000: 186, Fig. 9.6) depicts an almost identical object belonging to the Keith collection. He surmises that the metalwork served as a tubular bead. However, its shape and design also suggest that it was used as a shaft or mouthpiece. In 1963, Haberland documented a necklace at the Chilaite site (Isla Ometepe) consisting of three tubular metal beads, 2 resin beads, 50 greenstone beads and 306 clay beads (Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg, Postenbuch, No. 84.9: 139). Snarskis (1985: 32, Fig. 13) presents a necklace from the island of San Lucas (Golfo de Nicoya) whose elements are formed from bone, tooth and an avimorphic gold figure. Over 3000 gold beads were found in grave 11 at the Conte site (450-900d.C.). They probably belonged to several necklaces and a beaded belt. Ethnohistoric sources from the 16th century show that necklaces were worn by both sexes in Panamá (Hearne and Sharer 1992: 110). (Künne 2005)