Diquis Gold "Crocodile or Gecko" Pendant 700-1400AD
A Diquis Gold Pendant (Costa Rica, c. 700 - 1400 AD)Q
Sheet gold alloy (tumbaga) cut in a circle, with repousse featuring a raised amphibian or reptile (perhaps a salamander or gecko), with four dots near feet and two circles of small dots around the perimeter. In excellent condition. Pierced twice for suspension. A label with an inventory number on the back.
Provenance:
A Private Collection, Los Angeles, CA, acquired in the 1970s
Enrique Vargas Alfaro, 1960s. Mr. Alfaro was the source of the highest quality Pre-Columbian art sold to prestigious collections such as Andre Emmerich, Morton D. May, Frederick and Jan Mayer, and William C. and Carol W. Thibadeau. Artworks listing him as provenance appear in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, The Denver Art Museum, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Enrique was the grandson of Anastasio Alfaro (1865-1951), archaeologist, geologist, ethnographer, explorer and writer -- an important personality in the cultural development of Costa Rica. He was a member of the board at the National Museum of Costa Rica and author of Antigüedades en Costa Rica (1892).
Sheet gold alloy (tumbaga) cut in a circle, with repousse featuring a raised amphibian or reptile (perhaps a salamander or gecko), with four dots near feet and two circles of small dots around the perimeter. In excellent condition. Pierced twice for suspension. A label with an inventory number on the back.
Provenance:
A Private Collection, Los Angeles, CA, acquired in the 1970s
Enrique Vargas Alfaro, 1960s. Mr. Alfaro was the source of the highest quality Pre-Columbian art sold to prestigious collections such as Andre Emmerich, Morton D. May, Frederick and Jan Mayer, and William C. and Carol W. Thibadeau. Artworks listing him as provenance appear in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, The Denver Art Museum, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Enrique was the grandson of Anastasio Alfaro (1865-1951), archaeologist, geologist, ethnographer, explorer and writer -- an important personality in the cultural development of Costa Rica. He was a member of the board at the National Museum of Costa Rica and author of Antigüedades en Costa Rica (1892).