Pectoral, ~ AD 500 -1500
Colombia, Quimbaya
not available anymore
Provenance
Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen, 9 April 2001, lot 1270Alex Wittendorff, Copenhagen, Denmark
Size
H: 10,5 cm
H: 4.1 inch
Description
gold sheet, weight: 51 g, hammered, in shape of double stylized bird, small breakage, base;
around 1500 B. C., gold became the preferred material for fashioning personal adornments. The composite creature format was developed by artists throughout the ancient Americas to portray the non-portrayable - the shaman transformed into his/her spirit form. As such, all golden adornments would have been potent totemic icons for a family or social group, intimating the member’ s special powers.
Notices
This object is subject to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Export documents are required for export (subjected to a fee).