Embossed Disk Item Number: 33.448.6 from the Brooklyn Museum
Credit Line
Museum Expedition 1931, Museum Collection Fund
Label
Important Panamanian chiefs were buried with embossed gold plaques, symbols of power and status. Gold plaques with depictions of mythical beings were also worn by leaders to enhance their power and connect them to the supernatural world. This plaque has eight small holes, probably used to attach the ornament to clothing. The human face has the snarling, fanged mouth of a feline, suggesting his transformation into a supernatural being.
Item History
- Made between 700 and 1100
What
Where
- Holding Institution
- Brooklyn Museum
When
- Creation Date
- between 700 and 1100
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
- Ornament