Curly-Tailed Animal Pendant
Unknown Artist
100–800 CE
Medium
agate
Dimensions
5.2 × 3.1 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen
Accession Number
1948.15
About this artwork
A favored Initial-style subject is a charming animal whose curly tail-its most impressive feature-may derive from a monkey's. Its other traits vary considerably, causing it to be identified as everything from a dog to a duck. Initial-style gold ornaments represent Panama's oldest metalwork. Since metal technologies appeared suddenly and fully developed in Panama, it is likely that they were introduced from the outside, probably from Colombia to the south.