Pendant

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Culture Veraguas

Title Pendant

Date 1000–1530

Medium Gold

Dimensions Object: 3 × 4 5/16 × 1 1/8 in. (7.6 × 11 × 2.9 cm)
Overall: 3 x 4 5/16 x 1 1/8 in. (7.6 x 11 x 2.9 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Henry R. Hope, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 62.266

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About this Work

While pendants of this type are known as eagle pendants they actually represent a variety of birds, not just eagles but also owls, vultures, hummingbirds, raptors and more. Bird pendants were popular not only in Costa Rica but have also been found in Colombia.

It is unclear what meaning or function such pendants originally played, though it has been suggested that they were worn in part for protection. The use of gold, a precious material, tells us that these objects were highly valued and likely worn by the elite members of the community.

Provenance
More Details

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this Page
"Pendant | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=62.266