For centuries gold jewelry has been synonymous with wealth and power. Kings, emperors and especially queens commissioned the finest goldsmiths available to create not only emblems of prestige, but also works of art. The chiefs of ancient Costa Rica competed among themselves for power, both worldly and supernatural; and displayed this accumulated power by wearing gold objects such as this fabulous pendant. From a ralm of myth and vivid imagination this wonderful creature was created. It is essentially saurian, with the body and head of a crocodile. Yet, the similarities end there with eight marvelous extensions serving as legs and tails. The two pairs at the back, each have marvelous mythical heads with their mouths wide open and sharp teeth exposed. A sort of flipper is added to the ones above, identical with those on the upper legs. From the jaw two beasts shoot out, their bodies twisting like snakes ready to strike. The back of the animal is ornamented with curved fins, crowning its nose and continuing down the spine to the tail. Thick beads are also strategically placed for more dramatic effect. Particularly striking are the eyes, which bulge from their sockets. This wonderful creature is very similar to many conceptions of a sea monster. In fact the overall design has a definite aquatic feeling, like the curving form of waves and sea weed twisting on the ocean floor. The entire pendant exudes a majestic quality of something that seems real but possesses power beyond the normal. This is exactly the persona the chiefs of Costa Rica wished to project; brilliantly realized by a master goldsmith.
- (FJ.6218)
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