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56
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Dignitary pendant with composite feline divinity
Gold, lost-…
See original version (French)
56
-
Dignitary pendant with composite feline divinity
Gold, lost-…
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Dignitary pendant
with composite feline divinity
Gold, lost-wax casting, cracks, and slightly broken-glued at the ends, with later consolidation on the back.
Diquís / Chiriquí, Costa Rica-Panama, AD 700 to 1520
9.5 × 6 cm
Provenance: Estate of Mr S., Geneva, constituted between 1970 and 1980. Objects imported into France before the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2019/880 of 17 April 2019, applicable from 28 June 2025.
Arte Primitivo sale, 1972
This lost-wax cast gold pendant is part of the goldsmithing tradition of the contact regions between Costa Rica and Panama, reserved for high-ranking dignitaries. The composite figure - a feline divinity with four symmetrical animal excrescences and an open mouth revealing its fangs - reflects a symbolic thought in which the fusion of animal attributes expresses the power of tutelary forces and the capacity for transformation. The quality of the casting, the finesse of the details and the balance of the frontal composition make this piece a remarkable example of pre-Columbian goldsmithing in the region.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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