Item number: G7

Year: AD 700-1400

The results after XRF testing

Material: 21ct Gold (Tumbaga)

Size: 52.8 x 52 x 14.6 mm

Weight: 16.8 g

Manufactured by: Veraguas, Panama

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2023

This is a gold ornament from the “Gran Coclé culture” of the Isthmus of Panama. The culture is named after the Coclé Province, which is located along the Pacific coast of Panama, where many of its archaeological sites have been discovered. The Gran Coclé culture thrived from around 200 BC in the pre-Columbian era until approximately AD 1550, when the Spanish colonisers arrived. This eagle-shaped ornament is made from Tumbaga, a copper-gold alloy widely used in Central and South America. Artefacts crafted from this material were typically found in the graves of high-status adult males, signifying their social prominence.

The obverse side of the ornament is relatively smooth and shiny, while the reverse side displays a more uneven surface with numerous marks from hammering and shaping. The design of the ornament imitates an eagle, with an emphasis on exaggerating the outstretched wings and bifurcated tail feathers. The body features a pair of extended eagle talons. The head is characterised by an extremely curved beak, with spiral-shaped headpieces on either side.

On the reverse side of the ornament, there is a circular loop, which includes two additional modern loops, suggesting that the ornament may have continued to be worn or repurposed after its excavation. Notably, a perfectly round hole is located on the reverse, directly aligned with the eagle claws on the obverse.

Ornaments imitating the eagle motif, like this one, have been found in large quantities in pre-Columbian burial sites in the Veraguas Province of Panama, with most of these artifacts dating to after AD 1150. The form and design of these objects show significant cultural influence from the broader region of Colombia.

物件編號: G7

年代: 公元 700-1400 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 21ct 金 (圖帕伽)

尺寸: 52.8 x 52 x 14.6 mm

重量: 16.8 g

製造地: 巴拿馬，貝拉瓜斯省

來源: 海瑞德拍賣 2023

這是一枚來自巴拿馬地峽「大科克萊文化圈」的黃金飾品，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。這件老鷹飾品以「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。

飾品的正面較為光亮，背面則顯得凹凸不平有諸多搥打加工的痕跡。這件飾品在外觀上模仿老鷹，尤其刻意放大老鷹張開的雙翼和分岔的尾翼，身軀中間則是伸出的一對鷹爪。頭部有一個極度彎曲的嘴喙，還有兩側以螺旋作為造型的頭飾。飾品背面有一個圓環，上面有兩個現代追加的圓環，代表這枚飾品在出土之後，可能輾轉被人繼續發揮穿戴的功用。對照正面鷹爪的位置，其背面恰好有一個十分工整的圓孔。

這種模仿老鷹意象的飾品在巴拿馬貝拉瓜斯省的前哥倫布時期墓葬大量出土，主要分佈層位在公元1150年之後，該器物形制深受哥倫比亞地區的文化影響。