Gold Pendant of a Crocodile-Headed Jaguar - PF.4081, Origin: Central Highlands of Costa Rica, Circa: 1000 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1.5" (3.8cm) high, Catalogue: V21,  More »

Gold Pendant of a Crocodile-Headed Jaguar - PF.4081, Origin: Central Highlands of Costa Rica, Circa: 1000 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1.5" (3.8cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. Though the creature is a mythical character, it plays a large role in the art of ancient Central America. This particular pendant demonstrates the perfection involved in the creation of such works of art. The pendant is a hollow piece of gold, sculpted with great precision and care. The artist paid close attention to detail, to bring the piece to life. The body is strong, solid and lean, while the head is extremely ornate. The top of the head demonstrates the strong and scaled head of the crocodile. Its nose curls upwards while the mouth grins, bearing the sharp and vicious teeth of a crocodile or jaguar. To add a touch of realism and maybe even humor, the artist has added a small animal in between the jaws of the creature, demonstrating the ferocity of the creature. Such beautiful pieces, allow us to look into the lifestyle of the past communities as well as see the style that was appreciated at the time. Trade brought in a plethora of items from all over the area, thus making this era a true conglomeration of styles and ideas.   « Less

Gold Pendant of a Peccary - PF.4082, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style:  More »

Gold Pendant of a Peccary - PF.4082, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, 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 local chiefs arrayed in gold. This pendant was found with three other peccary ornaments of the same lost-wax cast. This peccary may represent either of the two pugnacious hoglike ungulates that roam Central and South America. Here, its pugnacious quality has been emphasized by its sharp teeth and ferocious expression. Subject matter of gold was strictly controlled, and of the total range of animals, only a restricted group appears in the jewelry. The major food animals that were essential sources of meat, such as peccaries, are hardly represented in gold. This peccary provides a rare exception to this rule. Most of the animals depicted in gold have certain consistent behavior qualities--fierceness, speed and cunning. This pendant is not simply a representation of nature, but the outward sign of a complex world of symbolism with its own system of beliefs which are no longer accessible to us. This gold peccary ornament was not only indicative of the power and social status of an individual, it may have been used as a symbol of the supernatural realms from which this power was thought to have originated.   « Less

Gold Pendant of a Peccary - PF.4083, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style:  More »

Gold Pendant of a Peccary - PF.4083, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, 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 local chiefs arrayed in gold. Precolumbian gold is irresistibly alluring. This gold peccary pendant has been found with three other peccary ornaments of the same lost-wax cast. This peccary may represent either of the two pugnacious hoglike ungulates that roam Central and South America. Here, its pugnacious quality has been emphasized by its sharp teeth and ferocious expression. Subject matter of gold was strictly controlled and of the total range of animals, only a restricted group appears in the jewelry. The major food animals that were essential sources of meat, such as peccaries, are hardly represented in gold. This peccary provides a rare exception to this rule. Most of the animals depicted in gold have certain consistent behavioral qualities. They are fierce, noxious, or dangerous: they nip, sting, bite, or are posionous. The quarrelsome behavioral quality of this peccary may have enabled it to be included in this repertoire of subject matter. This pendant is not simply a "representation of nature", but the outward sign of a complex world of symbolism with its own system of beliefs which are no longer accessible to us. This gold peccary ornament was not only indicative of the power and social status of an individual, it may have been used as a symbol of the supernatural realms from which this power was thought to have originated.   « Less

Four Gold Pendants of Peccaries - PF.4084, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection:  More »

Four Gold Pendants of Peccaries - PF.4084, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Costa Rican, Medium: Gold. In 1610, a Spanish priest Fray Agustin de Zevallos, described the gold pieces he encountered in Costa Rica as marvels of workmanship, brilliantly fashioned into jewelry and used for barter or buried with the dead. Most of the gold came from streams in the Diquis region, where the finest goldsmiths created masterpieces of art. What is particularly fascinating is that the subject matter for jewelry was strictly controlled. The favorite animals were frogs, alligators, turtles, jaguars, peccaries and spiders. None of these creatures fall within the major food groups except for the peccary. Why this animal is singled out as an exception is unknown; but it is certainly undeniable that they make very charming and endearing subjects for jewelry. The peccary is unique to Central and South America, known to be both pugnacious and nurturing. These delightful pendants are so skillfully made they seem alive with life and personality. They appear at rest, perhaps enjoying a lazy afternoon by a stream; yet always alert to danger, their keen eyes on the look out for the swift jaguar or other predators. Peccaries move in groups, which may have caught the artist's imagination to create a necklace imitating a herd; given beautiful expression through the lustrous medium of gold.   « Less

Gold Pendant of a Peccary - PF.4085, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style:  More »

Gold Pendant of a Peccary - PF.4085, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Catalogue: V21, 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 local chiefs arrayed in gold. Pre-Columbian gold is irresistibly alluring. This gold peccary pendant has been found with three other peccary ornaments of the same lost-wax cast. This peccary may represent either of the two pugnacious hoglike ungulates that roam Central and South America. Here, its pugnacious quality has been emphasized by its sharp teeth and ferocious expression. Subject matter of gold was stictly controlled and of the total range of animals, only a restricted group appears in the jewelry. The major food animals that were essential sources of meat, such as peccaries, are hardly represented in gold. This peccary provides a rare exception to this rule. Most of the animals depicted have certain consistent behavioral qualities--either fierce, noxious, or dangerous. The quarrelsome behavioral quality of this peccary is not simply a "representation of nature", but the outward sign of a complex world of symbolism with its own system of beliefs which are no longer accessible to us. This gold peccary ornament was not only indicative of the power and social status of an individual, it may have been used as a symbol of the supernatural realms from which this power was thought to have orginated.   « Less

Gold Pendant of a Jaguar Covered in Small Jaguar Heads - PF.4109, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high,  More »

Gold Pendant of a Jaguar Covered in Small Jaguar Heads - PF.4109, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. In 1587, the Spanish explorer Diego de Sojos wrote: "The quality of gold that abounds here (Costa Rica) is very great, and of good karat. The rivers are rich in gold and the Indians extract it with calabashes in very large grains." Unfortunately, the intrinsic worth of gold was more valuable to the Europeans than artistry, and countless works of art were melted down. This accounts for the rarity of pre-Columbian gold jewelry, and makes the existing pieces even more precious. This extraordinary pendant is not only one jaguar but many. Small jaguar heads represent the larger animal's paws, and also line its neck as a form of headdress or necklace. From its mouth two sickle shaped bands emerge like snakes, ending in the jaws of two small heads. This configuration is perfectly balanced by the tail in the form of two semi-circles curving around the feet. When we see the remarkable detail, such as the multiple relief bands around the tiny heads, and the series of notches at the end of the two tails, it becomes clear that this pendant is more than a piece of jewelry. What we have here is a complex world of ideas and beliefs based upon a mythology which has long been shrouded in mystery. This gorgeous pendant combines superb artistry with myth in such a remarkable way it exudes its own energy and power; separate from yet equally brilliant as the brilliance of the gold itself.   « Less

Gold Bell Pendant in the Form of a Monkey - PF.4111, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1.5" (3.8cm) high, Catalogue: V21,  More »

Gold Bell Pendant in the Form of a Monkey - PF.4111, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Dimensions: 1.5" (3.8cm) high, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Colombian, Medium: Gold.   « Less

Pendant in the Form of Two Frogs - FJ.6052, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD, Dimensions: 1.25" (3.2cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style:  More »

Pendant in the Form of Two Frogs - FJ.6052, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD, Dimensions: 1.25" (3.2cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. Frogs appear frequently in the goldwork of Pre-Columbian Costa Rica, a tropical region in which numerous species of small frogs exist. Both tree frogs, which range in length from an inch to “giants” of five inches, and terrestrial frogs of small size and poisonous skin, are known. The frogs are often vibrantly colored; bright yellow and “gold colored” frogs are among them. It is possible that this pendant is a stylized representation of two tree frogs joined back-to-back; tree frogs have extremely long legs, like those seen projecting from the hind of these frogs, and equally long feet, here merged into flattened rectangles that turn into loops. However, the individual toes of their front feet are represented in careful detail. The frogs are sitting with their backs joined, and ethnographic evidence suggests that the posture of such works is often significant; however, this significance of this specific posture remains a mystery. They appear poised to jump at any moment. Where there hind feet join, the loops allow the work to be worn, either as a pendant hanging from a necklace or as some other type of jewelry. The unusual curved composition of the work defies a clear identifiable explanation as to its original use. Due to our limited comprehension of the rich mythological traditions of the Pre-Columbian Costa Ricans, the full meaning of this masterpiece remains clouded. Although we may never completely understand the cultural and religious importance of this work, we can revel in its outstanding beauty and skilled artistry.   « Less

Gold Pendant of a Jaguar - FJ.6165, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style:  More »

Gold Pendant of a Jaguar - FJ.6165, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD, Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. Cats and cat imagery are significant to Pre-Columbian art from the earliest times, and the cat that had the greatest impact in New World mythology and art is the jaguar, the most impressive of the large American felines. Jaguars have flat, broad faces, powerful chests, and squat legs. Formidable hunters, they are said to swish their tails in a particularly hypnotic manner while hunting. Feline depictions on Costa Rican goldwork are usually called jaguars, based more upon generalized shape than on specific identifiable features. Despite his diminutive size, this jaguar manages to maintain an air of fierceness that commands respect and reverence. His ears are propped up, as if attentively listening for the slightest rustle that might indicate the movement of a potential prey. The elongated, large tail curves upwards, rising over the body, and indicating the importance of this appendage to the essence of the creature. Circular suspension loops are attached to his front paws, allowing the pendant to be hung from a necklace and displayed during public festivities or ceremonies. Clearly, this stunning work originally possessed a sacred religious significance that has been lost to us along with the majority of Pre-Columbian mythology. This gold pendant is more than just a decorative piece of jewelry, proudly worn to announce an individual’s wealth and status; instead it is a powerful mythological emblem that possessed the sacred energy of the sun (which was believed to give gold its color) and the jaguar, the king of all creatures.   « Less

Gold Pendant of a Frog with a Double-Headed Snake Emerging From its Mouth - FJ.6213, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD, Dimensions: 1.75"  More »

Gold Pendant of a Frog with a Double-Headed Snake Emerging From its Mouth - FJ.6213, Origin: Costa Rica, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD, Dimensions: 1.75" (4.4cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. Frogs appear frequently in the goldwork of Pre-Columbian Costa Rica, a tropical region in which numerous species of small frogs exist. Both tree frogs, which range in length from an inch to “giants” of five inches, and terrestrial frogs of small size and poisonous skin are known. The frogs are often vibrantly colored; bright yellow and “gold colored” frogs are among them. It is possible that this pendant is a stylized representation of a tree frog; tree frogs have extremely long legs, like those seen projecting from the body of this sculptural pendant, and equally long feet, here reduced to flattened rectangles. The frog is sitting, and ethnographic evidence suggests that this posture is significant for amphibian imagery; however, this significance remains a mystery. Emerging from the mouth of the frog, two long streamers wind their way outward, ending in opposing scrolls and appearing almost like a moustache. In other more naturalistic examples, these streamers are represented as snakes. The frogs front two feet loop around into a pair hooks, allowing the work to be publicly displayed on a necklace and worn for ceremonies or festivals. Due to our limited comprehension of the rich mythological traditions of the Pre-Columbian Costa Ricans, the full meaning of this masterpiece remains clouded. Although we may never completely understand the cultural and religious importance of this work, we can revel in its outstanding beauty and skilled artistry.   « Less