Pendant

Unknown

5th–10th century · Gold · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

The overall "heart" shape that has given this pendant type its name is sometimes not immediately recognizable, particularly in examples from the Tolima area on the middle Magdalena River. These pendants more closely resemble a ceremonial knife with a handle with two split curved elements at the top. The majority were cast of tumbaga, an alloy containing a higher percentage of copper than gold, and then gilded by removing the surface copper in an acid bath.

Artist

Unknown

Date

5th–10th century

Medium

Gold

Culture

Tolima

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979