Panama Circa 500 to 1520 AD  

A fantastic and important gold object of a good size standing figure, cast presenting small heads in upturned palms, he has three small monkeys on him; two seated atop his shoulders and one atop his head.  He holds human heads in each outstretched palm and has additional heads attached to his outer ankles. He is also adorned with braided belt and various spirals ornamentation.  A loop hole behind for suspension;  Size 11 cm H x 7 cm W.; 4-1/4 inches  H x 2-3/4 inches W + display stand included. Gold tests to  22k; weight 148g. Old label behind. 

Looking at the XRF analysis of the gold artifact, the composition shows characteristics that are consistent with Pre-Columbian gold work:

Gold (Au): 89.22% ± 0.16%
Silver (Ag): 7.18% ± 0.13%
Copper (Cu): 3.38% ± 0.07%
Iron (Fe): 0.21% ± 0.06%

The elemental composition supports authenticity for several reasons: The gold-silver-copper ratio aligns with known Pre-Columbian metallurgical techniques. The natural silver content (around 7%) is typical of Pre-Columbian gold alloys. The copper percentage falls within the expected range for intentional alloying in ancient American metalwork.  The trace amount of iron is consistent with ancient mining and processing methods
The piece is classified as 21.4K gold, which matches the fineness typically found in Pre-Columbian artifacts. The absence of modern plating or unexpected elements further supports its authenticity.

Provenance:  From the estate of Andres Illies, who inherited it from his grandfather, Ferdinand Grebien. Mr. Ferdinand Grebien was born in Austria, and arrived in Panama in 1911 to work on the construction of the canal. He founded Grebien & Martinz, a major private construction firm, (with more than 1000 employees) that went on to build many major institutions in Panama, including the Municipal Palace of the District of Colón. Grebien was an avid collector of ancient Pre Columbian gold. Shown in the listing is a photo of Ferdinand Grebien displaying part of his gold collection at the 1964 World’s fair in NY.