Item number: G6

Year: AD600-1000

The results after XRF testing

Material: 19ct Gold (Tumbaga)

Size: 76.0 x 33.1 x 63.4 mm

Weight: 104.4 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2024

This is a gold deer-shaped pendant from the “Gran Coclé cultural sphere” of the Isthmus of Panama. The cultural sphere is named after the Coclé Province, located along Panama’s Pacific coast, where many of its archaeological sites are concentrated. Its period of existence spans from approximately 200 BC in the pre-Columbian era to around AD 1550, coinciding with the arrival of Spanish colonisers.

This pendant is made of Tumbaga, a copper-gold alloy widely used in Central and South America. Artifacts crafted from this material are commonly found in the tombs of adult males of higher social status. The pendant’s design replicates the image of the white-tailed deer, a species widely distributed across the Americas. Similarly, archaeologists have uncovered numerous painted depictions of white-tailed deer on pottery excavated from sites within the Gran Coclé cultural sphere.

The deer is depicted in a high-kneeling posture, with circular perforations on its front legs for suspension. Its tail is raised high, adorned with two continuous spiral patterns extending from the rear to the back of the head. The antlered deer’s facial features bear a striking resemblance to those of humans, particularly in its expression and the forward-protruding, aligned teeth. This highly anthropomorphic representation of animal faces is a hallmark of the Gran Coclé culture. Additionally, the deer holds in its mouth a frog ornament, a motif frequently found in Gran Coclé archaeological contexts. The frog’s mouth is clasped by the deer, while its legs are rendered in an intriguing spiral form.

The base of this pendant features an openwork design, which is closely related to its crafting technique. According to archaeologists, artisans of the Gran Coclé culture would first sculpt a rough core model from clay and then refine the details using a wax mould. A layer of clay would then be applied over the wax mould, after which molten metal was poured into the mould to create the final piece.

The Gran Coclé cultural sphere was a pre-Columbian civilisation located on the Isthmus of Panama, characterised by its loosely organised tribal confederations. Following the Age of Exploration, Spanish explorers landing on the Caribbean coast continued their southward quest for gold. According to written records left by the Spaniards who advanced into the Isthmus of Panama, local chieftains would wear gold pendants and ornaments during military expeditions to signify their elevated status.

物件編號: G6

年代: 公元600-1000年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 19ct 金 (圖帕伽)

尺寸: 76.0 x 33.1 x 63.4 mm

重量: 104.4 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣 2024

這是一枚來自巴拿馬地峽「大科克萊文化圈」的黃金鹿形吊墜。該文化圈因其遺址多分布於巴拿馬濱臨太平洋的科克萊省而得名，其存續時期從前哥倫布時代的公元前200年延續至西班牙殖民者抵達的公元1550年左右。

這件吊墜以「圖帕伽」作為原料，圖帕伽是一種在中南美洲廣泛使用的銅金合金工藝。此類材質製成的工藝飾品通常出現在社會地位較高的成年男性墓葬中。吊墜的造型模仿廣泛分布於美洲大陸的白尾鹿形象，而在大科克萊文化圈的遺址中出土的陶器上，考古學家也發現了大量以白尾鹿為主題的彩繪圖案。

這頭鹿呈現高跪姿的姿勢，前腳有供穿繫用的圓孔，鹿的尾巴高高翹起，並且有兩道從屁股延伸到頭部後方的連續螺旋花紋。長著叉角的鹿其五官酷似人類，尤其是神情和向前凸出排列的牙齒，這種高度擬人化的動物臉孔是大科克萊文化的特色。在鹿的嘴中還銜著一隻大科克萊文化經常出土的青蛙裝飾，這隻青蛙的嘴被鹿唅住，腿部則呈現有趣的螺旋狀。

這個吊墜的底部呈現鏤空和工法有關，根據考古學家的研究，大科克萊文化人會先以陶土雕塑粗略的胚模後，再用蠟模進行更為細緻的雕刻。接著在蠟模上面再覆蓋一層陶土，接著再接融化的金屬倒入模具成形。

大科克萊文化圈是存在於巴拿馬地峽的前哥倫布文明，其政治型態是鬆散的部落聯盟。地理大發現之後，從加勒比海登陸的西班牙人繼續往南尋找黃金的蹤跡。根據當時推進到巴拿馬地峽的西班牙人所留下的文字紀錄，當地酋長在出陣時會配戴黃金的吊墜和飾品以彰顯自身的地位。