Gold Eagle Pendants
Anonymous
Western Panama and adjoining areas of Costa Rica
Gold bird-form pendants were a favored form of personal ornament in ancient Central America, and are perhaps the best known type of Pre-Columbian gold object. They were made to be worn suspended around the neck, and while the pendants differ in specific details, the basic configuration is usually the same- extended wings over open, splayed tails and heads, and beaks that project strongly forward. These personal ornaments were fabricated in many sizes; some are barely an inch high and may have been made for children, while others, such as this example, would fully adorn a large male chest.
Sarah Robinson
Musical Arts and Economics Major '18
