Gold Pendant of a Frog - FJ.5335, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 1000 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. The name Costa Rica, rich coast, derives from the enthusiastic accounts of European conquistadors who had seen the proliferation and diversity of goldwork from the area. Strikingly different cultural and artistic traditions have long been associated with two primary environmental zones that embody the region of Costa Rica. The North-Western quarter of the country, Guanacaste-Nicoya, had ties with Mesoamerica through much of pre-history. The eastern, central and southern regions, known as the Central Highlands, Atlantic Watershed and Diquis, are closer culturally to Panama and Northern South America. This intermingling with different cultures resulted in the frontier of Costa Rica producing a rich and varied artistic repertoire, and nowhere is this artistic splendor more evident than in Costa Rican goldwork. Here we see a remarkable example of their craftsmanship in the form of a gold pendant from the diquis region. Stylistically similar to the goldwork of neighboring Panama, this amphibian pendant evidences the exquisite filigree detail for which the ancient regional artists are known. Frogs of numerous species abounded in this tropical area of Costa Rica and this extraordinary gold frog probably represents a stylized version of a tree frog, whose characteristic long legs and feet are artistically portrayed here. Radiating a potent beauty that transcends time and place, this Costa Rican gold frog pendant is a testimony to the astonishing skill and keen aesthtic sesibilities of a culture that may be lost in time, but is not lost in spirit.

Antiquities
Ancient Jewelry