The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2024

Bird Pendant (Buzzard or Vulture?)

Bird Pendant (Buzzard or Vulture?)

c. 300 BCE–600 CE
Overall: 4.3 x 3 x 4.9 cm (1 11/16 x 1 3/16 x 1 15/16 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

Before about AD 500, when gold-working technologies were adopted in Costa Rica, jade was the quintessential luxury material and it was masterfully carved into exquisite ornaments of many kinds. Ancient Americans did not use many metal tools, and artists carved jade, a tough stone, with implements of stone, bone, bamboo, or reed.
  • {{cite web|title=Bird Pendant (Buzzard or Vulture?)|url=false|author=|year=c. 300 BCE–600 CE|access-date=23 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1954.148