This Mixtec gold labret, dating to approximately 1200 to 1500 CE, represents a small ornamental piece worn through the lower lip as a status symbol among Mixtec nobility. The labret's avian form demonstrates the sophisticated lost wax casting technique employed by Mesoamerican goldsmiths and reflects the cultural significance of birds in Mixtec cosmology and ritual practices. Such precious objects functioned both as personal adornment and as indicators of the wearer's elevated social and religious standing within Mixtec society.