Crocodile-God Pendant
| Culture | Coclé |
|---|---|
| Title | Crocodile-God Pendant |
| Date | 700–900 |
| Medium | Manatee rib |
| Dimensions | Object: 6 1/2 × 1 3/4 × 2 in. (16.5 × 4.4 × 5.1 cm) Overall (includes mount): 7 × 2 3/4 × 2 3/4 in. (17.8 × 7 × 7 cm) |
| Credit Line | Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 79.6.1 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A crocodile pendant, tapering from the top to a pointed bottom with the head at the widest end, with large, coiled nostrils and a mouth full of teeth. The crocodile has hands and feet resting on the front on the pendant, pointing inward toward a vertical ridge with jagged edges, which runs down the center of the form.
The crocodile and its relatives the caiman and alligator, which were not always differentiated, are common images represented in the Coclé culture in various media. This is not a simple, naturalistic depiction, the face, for example, appears human because it is parallel to the body, not at right angles to it, as a real crocodile’s would be. Although we do not know the crocodile’s specific significance for Coclé culture, its ferocious nature makes it a powerful symbol that may have reflected the aggressiveness of the society. The pendant's form also may have been important, for it has been carved to resemble other pendants made from whale teeth. This pendant was one of many objects found in graves at Sitio Conte, the major site in Coclé.
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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"Crocodile-God 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=79.6.1