Lot 83J
Pre-Columbian, Panama, Veraguas, ca. 500 to 1100 CE. Of a grand scale, impressive enough to be worn by chieftain as a power symbol, this 16 karat gold eagle was skillfully cast via the lost wax technique, with flat extended crest and tailfeathers, head and parts of the body rendered three dimensionally. Birds of prey, with their soaring flight patterns, were regarded as metaphors of the sun in the Pre-Columbian world. In addition, their visual acuity, speed, and powerful talons made them ideal models for successful warriors and hunters. A striking piece like this, made of pure gold and representing the revered eagle, was probably created for an elite warrior or leader. Suspension loop on verso. Size: 1.875" L x 1.625" W (4.8 cm x 4.1 cm) Weight: 10.5 grams
According to The Art of Pre-Columbian Gold: the Jan Mitchell Collection catalogue, "Isthmian bird-form pendants were first called 'eagles,' aguilas, when Christopher Columbus sailed along Caribbean Central America in the early 1500s. Columbus and his men saw the bird pendants being worn about the neck by the peoples of the coast, in the manner of 'an Agnus Dei or other relic' (Colon, 1959). They named the pendants aguilas, a name they have kept to this day. In the present century, the generalized avian form of the pendants has given rise to much discussion over which type of bird is represented (see Cooke & Bray, this catalogue). Some authorities believe that the pendants depict birds of prey, thereby endorsing the Spanish name. The prominence of beaks and claws, and the various items held in their beaks, support such a view. . . Veraguas eagles are sharp-edged and clean of outline, particularly when compared to those of Chiriqui style with their rounded contours. Wings and tail are worked more laterally . . . Veraguas eagles are also often more elaborated around the head and hold fewer things in their beaks." (Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1985, p. 112).
Provenance: private Bielenberg collection, acquired through descent. Originally acquired prior to 1920.
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#122957
- Condition: Slight bending and a few tiny, near invisible nicks to peripheries as is commensurate with age. Overall excellent.
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