Necklace
Artist/Maker
Greater Nicoya
(Costa Rica)
Dateca. 1000-1550
Mediumgreenstone and jade
DimensionsOverall: 10 3/8 x 1 7/8 x 3/8 in. (26.4 x 4.8 x 1 cm)
ClassificationsCostumes and Accessories
Credit LineGift of Sylvia Coppersmith in memory of Dora Coppersmith
Terms
Object number86.0061
DescriptionStone beads ranging in size and shape set off a large pendant of an abstracted avian axe-god. The power of birds as spirit companions and symbols of life force continued for millennia throughout Mesoamerica, but especially in the Greater Nicoya region. Greenstone and jade were used interchangeably for decorative items, demonstrating that the significance was in the color and form, not necessarily the geology.On View
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