Pendant in the Form of a Spider Item Number: 35.234 from the Brooklyn Museum
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.
Credit Line
Alfred W. Jenkins Fund
Item History
- Made between 1000 and 1500
What
Who
- Culture
- Chiriquí
Where
- Holding Institution
- Brooklyn Museum
When
- Creation Date
- between 1000 and 1500
Other
- Location
- American Identities: A New Look, American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, The Americas’ First Peoples, 4000 B.C.E.–1521 C.E., 5th Floor
- Classification
- Jewelry