Double bird pendant
Artists in ancient Panama created delicate ornaments using the lost-wax technique, sometimes incorporating other materials such as semiprecious stones or shell, which may have conveyed additional concepts or imbued the beings with additional powers. On this pendant, avian beaks are joined with the bodies of quadrupeds, complete with rose quartz tails. The loops at the creatures’ claws allowed them to be suspended from a cord. Similar pendants in the shape of various hybrid creatures have been found in high-status burials at sites such as Sitio Conte and El Caño, associated with the Coclé culture.
Artwork Details
- Title: Double bird pendant
- Date: 950-1100 CE
- Geography: Panama, Coclé Province, Río Parita region
- Culture: Coclé (Macaracas)
- Medium: Gold, rose quartz
- Dimensions: H. 1 3/4 × W. 1 9/16 × D. 1/2 in. (4.4 × 4 × 1.3 cm)
- Classification: Metal-Ornaments
- Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.206.485
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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5th–10th century
Coclé (Macaracas) artist
950–1100 CE
8th–12th century
8th–11th century
8th–12th century
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