Eagle Pendant. CULTURE: Panamá, Veraguas, Costa Rica. PERIOD: c. 1200- 1600 AD. MATERIAL: Gold. SIZE: 6.8 cm height and 10 cm length. PROVENANCE: Private collection, V. Z., The Netherlands, 1950 - 1980. CONDITION: Good condition. DESCRIPTION: Zoomorphic pendant made entirely of gold, combining casting, filigree, and granulation techniques, depicting a bird of prey seen from the front, with outstretched wings and a large triangular tail fully spread. The structure of the piece consists of three flat cut-out plates, joined together by fine gold soldering, which form the wings and tail. The body of the animal is located at the point where the three plates meet, cast in a mold in two separate pieces (head and body) and then soldered together. On the back of the pendant, at the height of the bird's shoulders, two filigree rings made of gold wire are soldered on, allowing the piece to be hung from a cord. The representation of the animal is synthetic and expressive, with simple modeling of the body and head volumes and a long, curved, half-open beak, exaggerated as one of the bird's most identifying features. Above it is a small welded ring, again made of filigree, which would originally have held one or more small hanging moving elements. The eyes are represented by two large spheres of gold granulation, surrounded by filigree rings at their base. The same filigree technique has also been used to form the legs, folded over themselves to form an S shape on the lower part of the body, from which large five-toed claws project forward. Between the legs is a small phallus soldered to the animal's belly. Finally, the pendant is decorated with granulated beads applied in pairs, symmetrically: on the upper edge of the wings, between the eyes and the beak, and at the point where the body joins the wings, with the one on the right side having been lost. Gold pendants in the shape of birds are probably the best-known type of pre-Columbian goldwork from Central America. Although their symbolic meaning is not entirely clear, they probably had a supernatural protective function. It is also possible that they were related to the creator god Sibo, usually represented in the form of a zopilote (American black vulture). They were worn around the neck and, although they vary greatly in size and decoration, they always follow a general pattern: the animal is depicted facing forward with outstretched wings, a fully extended triangular tail, and a large head that projects forward in three dimensions. Generically called “eagles” by the Spanish conquistadors, these bird-shaped pendants were important symbols of power and authority in the Veraguas region of Panama, worn by chiefs and exchanged as diplomatic gifts. They are representations of supernatural birds, hybrid in appearance and often fantastical, making it impossible to relate them to specific species. In the case of the piece under study, the bird combines the long, curved beak of a toucan with the enormous claws of a bird of prey. Several examples combining the same two elements are preserved in New York, again highlighting them on a flat, simple structure from which only the body and head protrude (figs. 1 and 2). Another piece from Cleveland is even closer to the pendant under study, with a similar proportion between the body, wings, and tail, and very similar claws, composed of thick individual filigree threads (fig. 3). One particularly noteworthy aspect of the zoomorphic pendants from Veraguas was their sound; they often included bells or moving parts that jingled when the wearer moved, announcing their presence. There are even some examples with hollow bodies containing moving parts inside, designed to act as bells. In the case of the pendant under study, the tinkling sound would be produced by the small bells or chimes hanging from the ring attached to the beak. The Veraguas-Chiriquí culture developed in what is now Panama and Costa Rica between the 8th century and the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Among its artistic production, its goldsmithing is particularly noteworthy, especially its zoomorphic pendants. Made of gold or tumbaga, using lost-wax casting, hammering, filigree, and granulation, these pendants combine zoomorphic representations—frogs, birds, sharks, and other animals—with rich ornamentation, mainly based on fine scrolls and spirals of applied wire. BIBLIOGRAPHY: - JONES, J. (ed.). The Art of Precolumbian Gold: The Jan Mitchell Collection. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1985. - LANGE, F.W.; STONE, D.Z. (eds.). The Archaeology of Lower Central America. University of New Mexico Press. 1984. - McEWAN, C. (ed.). Precolumbian Gold, Technology, Style and Iconography. British Museum Press. 2000. - PLAZAS, C. (ed.). Metalurgia Precolombina. Banco de la República, Bogotá. 1987. PARALLELS: Fig. 1 Eagle pendant. Veraguas, Panama, 700–1550. Gold, 9.8 x 14.9 cm. Metropolitan Museum, New York, inv. 1979.206.540. Fig. 2 Eagle pendant. Veraguas, Panama, 1000–1600. Gold, 7 x 10.2 cm. Metropolitan Museum, New York, inv. 1979.206.826. Fig. 3 Eagle pendant. Veraguas, Panama, 1000–1500. Gold, 4.6 x 4.5 cm. Cleveland Museum of Art, inv. 1990.168. Notes: The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki. The seller will take care that any necessary permits, like an export license will be arranged, he will inform the buyer about the status of it if this takes more than a few days. The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License.