Lot 94
Pre-Columbian, Central America, Panama, Veraguas culture / Grand Chiriqui, ca. 800 to 1500 CE. A wondrous pair of gold amulets in the form of birds, each displaying spread wings and a large, flattened triangular tail. Facing forward, their petite heads present bulging, round eyes, down-turned beaks, and suspension loops on the verso for wear as pendants. One bird is crowned by a pair of elaborate, V-shaped scrolls. The kinds of birds represented in pendants of the isthmus are not clear, though the emphasis on spread wings and flight suggests birds that soar, such as eagles or hawks. In addition to their aerial agility, they are powerful birds of prey and, therefore, may have symbolized a warrior's or hunter's ferocity and skill. They were also often linked to the sun. Size (both about the same): 1" L x 0.8" W (2.5 cm x 2 cm); gold quality: 63.83 - 68.37% (15.3 to 16.4 karats); total weight: 5.2 grams
Few ancient American gold objects are as well known today as the so-called eagle pendants. Bird pendants, like this example, were first named aguilas (eagles) by Christopher Columbus, who observed them being worn by local people hung from their necks, as "an Agnus Dei or other relic," when he sailed along the Caribbean coast of Central America in the early 1500s. Bird imagery remained important to indigenous belief in the region into the twentieth century. Many varieties of birds abound in Central America, and there is much speculation about the species represented on the pendants, given the great variety in the shapes and sizes of the beaks. Some researchers believe that they are birds of prey because of the prominent beaks.
Provenance: private Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA collection, acquired 1969 to 1970; ex-Dr. Jorge Lineas, San Jose, Costa Rica
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#187831
- Condition: Both are intact and in overall excellent condition. Wearable as pendants.
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