Pre-Columbian Art / Diquis Gold Pendant of a Double-Headed Sea Horse - FJ.6321, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Diquis, Medium: Gold. The stylized representation of animals must surely relate to rituals performed by shamans; probably connected with fertility rites or rituals for the gathering of power. It is believed that Diquis pendants are not simply representations of nature, but the outward sign of a complex world of symbolism. This is especially true with such a fabulous pendant, where the real world departs into the supernatural in a most dramatic and graphic manner. Here we see a delightful sea horse with two heads, each one beautifully detailed with spirals and crests. Along the sides are horizontal projections of highly stylized crocodile heads, creating a pattern of intricacy and delicacy. It is this sense of elegance and unusual subject matter, blended with intense power, which gives this pendant such a radiant aura. One particularly endearing feature of sea horses is that they mate for life and perform a ritual dance, intertwining around one another, before mating. Perhaps this act of love is what is being represented here; as unique in the animal world as this pendant is in the world of art.

Antiquities
Ancient Jewelry