Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 250 to 800 CE. In exceptional condition, a Costa Rican pendant comprised of greenstone of sage and olive green hues, expertly string cut with intriguing representations of a bat with outspread wings, an expressive visage at the center flanked by a pair of toothy crocodiles in profile. Quite a spectacular hybrid form! Double perforations through top for suspension. Nice red cinnabar remaining in recesses. Custom, museum quality stand. Size: 6.375" W x 1.5" H (16.2 cm x 3.8 cm); 1.875" H (4.8 cm) on included custom stand.
Nocturnal bats - the only winged mammals that fly - were believed to be as ominous as owls among Pre-Columbian cultures. Swooping and darting in the night sky, the ancients of the Americas linked these creatures to both the underworld and sexual potency, the sexual connotations in turn associated with rain and fertility. This example features an intricately carved face with great detail and symmetrically balanced open wings.
The Crocidilia order comprise of crocodiles, smaller alligators, and yet smaller caymans were treated similarly in Pre-Columbian mythology. The crocodile being the oldest (approximately 55 million years old) was understood as a crocodilian earth monster and is oftentimes shown giving rise to what was known as the World Tree. Partial to a watery habitat, the crocodile is also a metaphor for fertility.
Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s
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#140691
Condition
Intact. Faint black striated marks on left crocodile are dendrites not fissures. More black deposits on bat wing and the other crocodile head. Red cinnabar remains in recesses.