Figural Pendant (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- This ancient gold pendant uses simple shapes to depict a human figure. This human figure may represent a shaman. A shaman is a religious practitioner who is believed to have access to magical powers.
- The pendant was found in southern Costa Rica. In Costa Rican culture, shamans are spiritual leaders and healers.
- The process used to create this metal pendant is known as lost-wax casting. It involves casting a mold around a wax model.
Learn More
Cast gold figural pendants from ancient Costa Rica often depict a variety of figures. The figures include humans, animals, and different types of birds. The two-headed human figure on this gold pendant may represent a shaman, and the arc surrounding the figure may represent the shaman’s power. In Costa Rican culture, shamans are spiritual leaders and healers. They are believed to have the ability to communicate with spirits and the supernatural world.
Gold pendants created using the lost-wax method of metal casting are common in the southern Costa Rican region known as the Diquís Delta. The area is known for its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and stone spheres. Gold pendants found in the Diquís region of Costa Rica look similar to the gold pendants found in the Chiriquí region of northern Panama, where the lost-wax casting method was used in earlier times. Lost-wax casting is a technique used to make a replica, or copy, of an object by casting a mold around a wax model. It is possible that lost-wax casting was introduced into the Diquís region by neighboring communities in Panama.
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers
- Read an article about the lost-wax casting technique.
- Read an article about metalwork in Costa Rica.
Resources for Students
- Watch a video about the lost-wax casting process from the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- View another figural pendant from the Diquís region of Costa Rica.
Images
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Figural Pendant
A cast gold pendant featuring a double-headed human figure. The figure is holding a circular object that arcs from one hand to the other. A snakelike creature extends outward from each of the figure’s legs.