Gold Pendant of a Avian Masked Shaman Surrounded by Smaller Masked Assistants - FJ.6424, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions:  More »

Gold Pendant of a Avian Masked Shaman Surrounded by Smaller Masked Assistants - FJ.6424, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 3.5" (8.9cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold.   « Less

Veraguas Gold Avian Pendant Featuring a Monkey Standing on the Bird's Head - FJ.6425, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 3.5"  More »

Veraguas Gold Avian Pendant Featuring a Monkey Standing on the Bird's Head - FJ.6425, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high x 3.25" (8.3cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Veraguas, Medium: Gold. A sharply hooked nose and double earspools suggests the Jalaca type of avian pendant,' closely related to the Veraguas style. The head appears like a mask, with a double banded strap under the chin spiraling around the beaded eyes. A charming monkey, holding onto a circular braided 'rope,' sits on the bird's head, from which extend identical crocodile heads. The bird's body is bulbous, with small clawed feet protruding. Dramatic wings tightly curve into two points on either side, while the large fanning tail has a horizontal base. More than one kind of bird may be represented in avian pendants. In this example, the wings appear as an abstract depiction of the way soaring birds spread their wings in the sun to dry after a rain. Both birds and monkeys are frequently found in Costa Rican gold art; the latter being a creature greatly admired for its ability to walk on land, float on water and fly through the air--powers the ancient shamans were reputed to possess.   « Less

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of an Alligator - PF.0746, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona,  More »

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of an Alligator - PF.0746, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium: Tumbaga. Throughout the Isthmus of Central America, the alligator was venerated as a god. The golden reptile of this superbly stylized pendant surely must come from the divine sphere. One can only imagine the place where such a creature might live--a swamp made of glittering emeralds and polished jade.   « Less

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of a Crested Bird - PF.0770, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona,  More »

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of a Crested Bird - PF.0770, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 2" (5.1cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium: Tumbaga.   « Less

Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; Laureate Bust of the Emperor Facing Right. Reverse: PONTIF TR P XII COS III; Virtus Standing Facing Right with his Foot on a Helmet, Carrying a  More »

Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; Laureate Bust of the Emperor Facing Right. Reverse: PONTIF TR P XII COS III; Virtus Standing Facing Right with his Foot on a Helmet, Carrying a Spear and a Parazonium. Caracalla was born April 4,188 in Lyon, where his father, Septimius Severus, was serving as governor of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis under Emperor Commodus. His name was changed from Lucius Septimius Bassianus to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus at the age of seven. The name change was a way of connecting the family of Severus to that of the Antonines. The nickname Caracalla was taken from the name of a type of cloak popularized by the emperor, but this nickname, originally derisive, was never used officially. From the time of his name change to Antoninus, Caracalla was the designated heir of Severus. Less than three years later he was proclaimed emperor, officially joining his father as co-rulers of the empire. At the age of 14, he was married to the daughter of the praetorian prefect Plautianus, but the teenager despised his wife. The marriage ended less than three years later and there were no children. Upon his father’s death in 211, Caracalla ruled the empire jointly with his brother, Geta, until he was murdered later the same year, leaving Caracalla in sole control at the age of 23. The year 212 saw a flurry of administrative reforms under the young emperor's leadership. Soldiers received increases in pay and in legal rights, but the most noteworthy change was the bestowal of Roman citizenship upon all free residents of the empire. Construction was also well underway on the magnificent baths in Rome that would bear the emperor's name. In 217, Caracalla was assassinated on the road back from his military campaigns against the Partians in the east. Although Caracalla remains a rather dubious figure, historians often overlook the energetic, reformist and even intellectual character of Caracalla's reign. The changes brought about in the little more than five years of Caracalla's sole rule would have long-lasting implications throughout the empire for generations to come. How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who might have touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after it leaves our hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and location, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in contemporary machine-made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial an emperor’s reign passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation that still appears as vibrant today as the day it was struck. - (C.9416)   « Less

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of a Frog - PF.0774, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium:  More »

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of a Frog - PF.0774, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium: Tumbaga. A citizen of the golden forest, this frog views the world through wide, round eyes. Arrayed in a shimmering skin, he is perhaps a god in disguise.   « Less

Necklace with Tairona Tumbaga Anthropomorphic Bell - PF.0787, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium: Tumbaga. This  More »

Necklace with Tairona Tumbaga Anthropomorphic Bell - PF.0787, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium: Tumbaga. This delicate necklace with its tinkling golden bell combines original elements in the ancient style to create a piece of eternal beauty. To wear it is to remember the sensual magic of a jungle afternoon: the cool emerald shadows, the gentle rain, the soft music of a long-ago place and time.   « Less

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of a Double-Headed Mythological Beast - PF.0790, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 2.125" (5.4cm) depth, Collection:  More »

Tairona Tumbaga Pendant of a Double-Headed Mythological Beast - PF.0790, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 800 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 2.125" (5.4cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Tairona, Medium: Tumbaga. Were the jungles of ancient South America, filled with such fantastic beasts or was it only the imaginations of the people who lived there? In the presence of this golden amulet, we are transported to a world of cool emerald shadows and fabled golden cities. Though that world remains elusive, this intriguing pendant seems to tell us it existed sometime, somewhere.   « Less

Quimbaya Tumbaga Pendant of a Masked Man - PF.0794, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 600 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 3.125" (7.9cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection: Pre-Columbian,  More »

Quimbaya Tumbaga Pendant of a Masked Man - PF.0794, Origin: Colombia, Circa: 600 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 3.125" (7.9cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Quimbaya, Medium: Tumbaga. This imposing individual has a mouth full of pointed teeth and carries two smaller figures atop his head. Everything about him seems massive and awe inspiring. Is this some ancient Quimbaya Goliath, so large he wears lesser mortals on his hat? Or is he merely a normal human, masquerading as a golden giant?   « Less

Gold Pendant of Twin Crocodile/Jaguar Composite Creatures - PF.4045, Origin: Panama, Circa: 700 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 1.125" (2.9cm) high x 2.125" (5.4cm) depth,  More »

Gold Pendant of Twin Crocodile/Jaguar Composite Creatures - PF.4045, Origin: Panama, Circa: 700 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 1.125" (2.9cm) high x 2.125" (5.4cm) depth, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. Shimmering as brilliant as the afternoon sun, this gold pendant is an important treasure from the Panamanian past. Brought to us today, it is as mysterious as it is beautiful. Ancient artists excelled in creating exceptional gold work before the time of the Conquest. The gold work which has been left intact and not melted by the Conquistadors is priceless and rare. This gold Zoomorphic pendant may convey diverse kinds of information. It may represent human social, natural or supernatural aspects of the society. Clearly, the animal motif is "twinned" or joined, but what animals are represented here? The long, flat snout with prominent nostrils and rows of sharp teeth most probably represent the crocodile. Although the head may be crocodilian, the hind legs can be indetified as belonging to the jaguar. The tails terminate into large, flat almost paddle-like shapes, perhaps referring to an aquatic animal. The symmetry and elegant flow of the two creatures side by side undoubtedly deserves our utmost admiration and appreciation for the ancient artist who so diligently mastedred the art of gold work.   « Less