Pre Columbian 800 / 1450 AD Costa Rica Chiriki Tumbaga Gold Condor Pendant

Rare Necklace designed by Thomas Gentille (1936-). An impressive sculptural piece of art, created in New York city by the artist studio goldsmith Thom...

A shipwreck 8 Reales Spanish colonial coin pendant made by Mel Fisher. This is a genuine and authentic shipwreck piece-of-eight from the Spanish colonial period. The is an 8 Reales ...

Southern Costa Rica or Western Panama, circa 800 to 1500 AD. A very fine example of the goldwork of the Veraguas-Chiriqui-Diquis region. A pendant in Carbonera style of a supernatural being, a composite monster with human torso and feline (probably jaguar) head. The figure is set in a frame decorated with little animal heads, one at each corner. The hands have also turned into animal heads. In place of genitalia is a stylized serpent head suspended by a twisted cord that was supposed to continue across the frame. A minor casting accident prevented it form being attached to the frame. A modern goldsmith would solder in two short lengths of twisted wire, but the ancient goldsmith did not have the equipment to make such repair. A double thread ending in spirals goes across the frame behind the neck of the figure, helping to fill up the frame and avoiding a large empty space. The word "thread" reminds us that the twisted and straight cords were, in the original wax model of the pendant really extruded wax threads, turned into metal by the lost wax (cire perdue) process. The braid pattern on the frame is illusory, just two twisted threads of extruded wax laid side by side. The goldsmith made the toes out of extruded wax thread too, very decorative as well. The piece comes with a certificate of authenticity by Mr. Robert Sonin, 5 May 2006. ref. photo roll 3301. A world renowned expert on Pre-Columbian Artifacts...

In ancient Roman religion and magic, the fascinus or fascinum was the embodiment of the divine phallus. The word can refer to phallus effigies and amulets, and to the spells used to ...