Veraguas Gold Raptor Bird Pendant

Panama Circa 500 to 1520 AD  

The raptorial bird cast with bulging eyes and hook beak, small feet with individual talons.  Large wings and tail spread. The wings with indications of feathers;  loophole for suspension behind.  The bird-like design with curved wings and stylized features is characteristic of Panamanian goldwork. The Veraguas were known for creating fantastical three-dimensional images of birds and other animals found in their wetland environment and they produced ceremonial adornments that expressed social, religious, and ritual themes using gold as a symbol of rank and prestige.  Their goldsmiths created elaborate pieces for both ceremonial use and as burial offerings for their leaders. This type of ornamental piece would have likely served a ceremonial or status-indicating purpose, as gold in Pre-Columbian societies was primarily used for ritual and regalia rather than utilitarian purposes
Size 9.1cm H x 11.5 cm W.; 2-3/8 inches H x 3-1/4 inches W.; 22k; weight  52g.

XRF analysis shows the piece is made of 21.8K gold, with an elemental composition of:
91.02% gold (Au)
5.88% silver (Ag)
2.85% copper (Cu)
0.26% iron (Fe)

Compare similar example in 'To Capture the Sun: Gold of Ancient Panama, the Gilcrease Museum’, Tulsa, Oklahoma exhibition. 

Provenance: From the estate of Christian Illies (1947-2014), Opelika, Alabama who inherited the collection from his grandfather, Ferdinand Grebien (1877-1976).  Christian Illies’ grandfather, Ferdinand Grebien was born in Austria in 1887 and arrived in Panama in 1911 to work on the construction of the canal. In Colon 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 Colon. Grebien was an avid lifelong collector of ancient Panamanian gold. We illustrate a black and white photo of Ferdinand Grebien displaying part of his gold collection at the 1964 World’s fair in NY.