Pendant in the Form of a Seated Musician
1000–1500
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
H.: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.)
Classification
pendant (jewelry)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
35616
Art Historical Context
This delicate gold pendant, titled *Pendant in the Form of Seated Musician*,ails from the Veraguas region of pre-Columbian Panama, dating to 1000–1500 CE. Measuring just 2.9 cm in height, it exemplifies the masterful jewelry craftsmanship of indigenous artisans in the Arts of the. Fashioned from pure gold, the piece depicts a diminutive figure seated and playing a musical instrument, capturing a moment of cultural expression in miniature form. Veraguas goldwork represents a pinnacle of pre-Columbian metalworking in Central America, where communities thrived along Panama's Pacific coast during...