Rare Panamanian Veraguas Gold Fish-Reptile Pendant

Lot 214b

About Seller

686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States

Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more

Bid Increments

Price	Bid Increment
$0	$25
$300	$50
$1,000	$100
$2,000	$250
$5,000	$500
$10,000	$1,000
$20,000	$2,500
$50,000	$5,000
$100,000	$10,000
$200,000	$20,000

About Auction

Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art by Artemis Gallery

Live

Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 9, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-03-09 10:00:00 2023-03-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-12354 Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (413)

Lot Description

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Panama or Costa Rica, Chiriqui or Veraguas, ca. 8th to 14th century CE. An incredible and fantastical 71% gold (equivalent to 17K+) pendant of an abstract animal- perhaps a catfish or shark, cast via the lost wax technique. Costa Rican goldworks range from naturalistic to abstract and stylized - this piece is certainly on the imaginative side - a hybridized fish and reptilian creature, with a fin-like tail, small front legs, dorsal fins, front legs, and a broad frog-like head with raised eyes. The scrolling whiskers and tongue emanating from the mouth. While the body underside is flattened, the mouth has a lower jaw, open with bared fangs. This piece has elements that resemble sharks and catfish from Pre-Columbian goldworks, animals associated with power and the underworld, while frogs were symbol of fertility. Artisans made up hybrid creatures, combining traits from more than one animal that represent dualities or mythic powers. Size: 3.77" L x 2.74" W (9.6 cm x 7 cm); gold quality: 71.2% (equivalent to 17K+); weight: 72.9 grams

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

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#177437

Condition

Repaired and restored. Areas of repair and restoration on the left leg and tip of right leg. Left spiked "whisker" and right "ear" are reattached. Green patina / mineral encrustations on verso. Light mineral deposits as shown and old inventory label.
Shipping Info
- All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
Buyer's Premium
- 26.50 %