Pendant in Form of Bird
1 of 3
Object Label
In Costa Rica gold animal pendants were often worn by and buried with elite members of Chiriquí society. The eagle’s broad tail and outstretched wings may symbolize the animal’s ability to soar high into the sky and enter the supernatural realm. The spider’s legs end in human hands, which hold a double-headed snake. The abdomen, adorned with a bird and two crocodilian heads, is a bell that would have made a tinkling sound as the wearer moved. Depictions of predatory animals would have inspired awe and respect and provided the wearer with power and protection.
Caption
Chiriquí. Pendant in Form of Bird, 1000–1500. Gold, 3 3/4 x 1 x 2 7/8 in. (9.5 x 2.5 x 7.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Alfred W. Jenkins Fund, 35.232. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 35.232_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Pendant in Form of Bird
Date
1000–1500
Geography
Place made: Costa Rica
Medium
Gold
Classification
Dimensions
3 3/4 x 1 x 2 7/8 in. (9.5 x 2.5 x 7.3 cm)
Credit Line
Alfred W. Jenkins Fund
Accession Number
35.232
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
What carat gold are these?
I don't believe that we have had them tested. Some of the objects such as the Lime Container are actually gold alloys, while others such as the spider are just listed as gold.
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