Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
Tairona-style pendants are among the most spectacular of all ancient American gold ornaments, in part because of the detail achieved with lost-wax casting. The traits of the figure pendant include a lower lip ornament and a headdress in which two bats hang upside down. Although called <em>caciques</em> (chieftains), that is, ruler portraits, the meaning of such figures is not well understood. Bird imagery was important in the isthmian region in ancient times and remains so today. For instance, among the modern Bribri of Costa Rica, the principal creator deity (Sibo) takes the form of a buzzard or kite who wears a collar. Collars are standard features of ancient bird pendants, like the one shown here.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
141926
label
Bird Pendant
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
141926
contentType
object
title
Bird Pendant
description
Tairona-style pendants are among the most spectacular of all ancient American gold ornaments, in part because of the detail achieved with lost-wax casting. The traits of the figure pendant include a lower lip ornament and a headdress in which two bats hang upside down. Although called <em>caciques</em> (chieftains), that is, ruler portraits, the meaning of such figures is not well understood. Bird imagery was important in the isthmian region in ancient times and remains so today. For instance, among the modern Bribri of Costa Rica, the principal creator deity (Sibo) takes the form of a buzzard or kite who wears a collar. Collars are standard features of ancient bird pendants, like the one shown here.
date
900–1550
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60779081
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 8.1 x 6.3 x 3.6 cm (3 3/16 x 2 1/2 x 1 7/16 in.)
cul
Colombia, Tairona
accession
1965.466
Source extras
tec
cast gold
tombstone
Bird Pendant, 900–1550. Colombia, Tairona. Cast gold; overall: 8.1 x 6.3 x 3.6 cm (3 3/16 x 2 1/2 x 1 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen, 1965.466
collection
AA - Intermediate Region
citations
citation
Stechow, Wolfgang. "Cleveland's Golden Anniversary Acquisitions." <em>Artnews</em> 65, no. 5 (September 1966): 30-64.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 34; Mentioned p. 64
creditline
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:17:08.206000
sourceId
141926
dept
Art of the Americas
coll
AA - Intermediate Region
med
cast gold
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
3a3b2f8fb42e233b