**First Time At Auction**
Pre-Columbian, Central America, Panama or Costa Rica, Chiriqui or Veraguas culture, ca. 8th to 14th century CE. A superb gold figural pendant of a shamanic figure, masterfully cast via the lost wax method, and displaying earspools and a feathered headdress, the abstract limbs held to the sides. The verso has a loop for suspension and a modern jumper ring has been added for suspension and this could certainly be worn today as a pendant! Originally this piece must have been worn by an elite member of society to convey power and wealth. Size: 2.25" L x 0.8" W (5.7 cm x 2 cm); gold quality: 77.25% (equivalent to 18K+); weight: 11.2 grams
Similar examples of this type are on display in the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (Museo del Oro Precolombino) San Jose, Costa Rica museum, please see the . Please see their collection website, inventory number: BCCR-O-0091.
Pre-Columbian art is well-known for its impressive goldworks, especially amongst the cultures of the Isthmo-Colombian region. Gold became the preferred material for creating fashionable ornaments sometime after 500 CE replacing jadeite and other green stones from which artists had made impressive jewelry for centuries. Indeed, the ancient cultures of the New World created countless gold ornaments and ceremonial objects that were often buried with the deceased as funerary goods. Unfortunately, the Spanish conquistadors melted nearly all of these to convert them to gold bars and coins for Spain. Due to this, surviving genuine pre-Columbian gold is rare and highly coveted by collectors.
Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010
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#177439
Condition
Intact and excellent. Slight being to headdress. Surface rubbing and softening to finer details. Light mineral deposits. Moden jumper ring added for suspension.