A Costa Rican Jadeite Hybrid Pendant Amulet, Late Formative to Early Classic period ca. 300 - 500 CE Byzantine It is held within an

It is held within an ancient high-karat gold bezel

for a few centuries in the mid-first millennium CE

and remarkable survival underscore the symbolic power these works held for the communities that commissioned and revered them

Dimensions: Pendant height: 1 3/8 inches (3

A Costa Rican Jadeite Hybrid Pendant Amulet, Late Formative to Early Classic period ca. 300 - 500 CE Byzantine It is held within anThis finely carved pendant depicts a composite zoomorphic figure, merging characteristics of an armadillo and a bird, rendered in the abstract, angular style of Greater Nicoya jade artistry. The compact, armored body, rounded snout, and upright posture evoke the nine banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), a nocturnal burrowing animal common in Central America. In contrast, the prominent tail, raised crest, and flared rear elements resemble avian