Celt pendant
Para español, véase más abajo.
Greenstone pendants were manufactured in the Central and the Greater Nicoya regions of Costa Rica starting as early as 500 BCE, until around 800 CE. Made from a variety of raw materials, including jade and chrysoprase, these pendants often have a functional axe shape, that might or might not have been used as a tool, before becoming a ceremonial object, such as a funerary offering. The appearance of this distinctive style of pendants during a period of incipient social inequalities suggest that they were a sign of prestige and differentiation.
This pendant combines a variety of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic features. The general shape is that of a human figure, whose arms are represented by the horizontal incised lines. Two perforations take the place of the eyes, while the ears on top of the head are in fact tiny lizard figurines. The highly abstract depiction of the facial features makes it difficult to determine whether it is a human or a bird face, both of which are commonly represented in greenstone pendants.
Amanda Suárez Calderón, 2025
Further Reading
Hoopes, John. “Magical Substances in the Land between the Seas.” In Golden Kingdoms. Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, edited by Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum and The Getty Research Institute, 2017.
Kuboyama-Haraikawa, Waka. Celtiform Pendants from Pre-Columbian Costa Rica. Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 2023.
McEwan, Colin, and John Hoopes, eds. Pre-Columbian Art from Central America and Colombia at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2021.
Los artesanos de las regiones Central y Gran Nicoya de Costa Rica fabricaron pendientes de una variedad de piedras verdes, llamadas genéricamente jade, aproximadamente desde el 500 AEC hasta el 800 EC. Estos pendientes tienen a menudo forma de hacha, aunque no necesariamente fueron utilizados como tal, sino más bien como objetos ceremoniales que formaban parte de ofrendas funerarias. La aparición de estos pendientes con su estilo distintivo durante un periodo de surgimiento de desigualdades sociales sugiere que eran símbolos de prestigio y diferenciación.
Este pendiente combina una variedad de rasgos antropomorfos y zoomorfos. La silueta es la de una figura humana, cuyos brazos están representados con líneas incisas horizontales. Dos perforaciones redondas toman el lugar de los ojos, mientras que las orejas son en realidad figurillas diminutas de lagartijas. La representación altamente abstracta de los rasgos faciales dificulta determinar si se trata de un rostro humano o de ave, ambos motivos comunes en los pendientes de piedras verdes.
Amanda Suárez Calderón, 2025
Lecturas adicionales
Hoopes, John. “Magical Substances in the Land between the Seas.” In Golden Kingdoms. Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, edited by Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum and The Getty Research Institute, 2017.
Kuboyama-Haraikawa, Waka. Celtiform Pendants from Pre-Columbian Costa Rica. Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 2023.
McEwan, Colin, and John Hoopes, eds. Pre-Columbian Art from Central America and Colombia at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2021.
Greenstone pendants were manufactured in the Central and the Greater Nicoya regions of Costa Rica starting as early as 500 BCE, until around 800 CE. Made from a variety of raw materials, including jade and chrysoprase, these pendants often have a functional axe shape, that might or might not have been used as a tool, before becoming a ceremonial object, such as a funerary offering. The appearance of this distinctive style of pendants during a period of incipient social inequalities suggest that they were a sign of prestige and differentiation.
This pendant combines a variety of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic features. The general shape is that of a human figure, whose arms are represented by the horizontal incised lines. Two perforations take the place of the eyes, while the ears on top of the head are in fact tiny lizard figurines. The highly abstract depiction of the facial features makes it difficult to determine whether it is a human or a bird face, both of which are commonly represented in greenstone pendants.
Amanda Suárez Calderón, 2025
Further Reading
Hoopes, John. “Magical Substances in the Land between the Seas.” In Golden Kingdoms. Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, edited by Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum and The Getty Research Institute, 2017.
Kuboyama-Haraikawa, Waka. Celtiform Pendants from Pre-Columbian Costa Rica. Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 2023.
McEwan, Colin, and John Hoopes, eds. Pre-Columbian Art from Central America and Colombia at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2021.
Los artesanos de las regiones Central y Gran Nicoya de Costa Rica fabricaron pendientes de una variedad de piedras verdes, llamadas genéricamente jade, aproximadamente desde el 500 AEC hasta el 800 EC. Estos pendientes tienen a menudo forma de hacha, aunque no necesariamente fueron utilizados como tal, sino más bien como objetos ceremoniales que formaban parte de ofrendas funerarias. La aparición de estos pendientes con su estilo distintivo durante un periodo de surgimiento de desigualdades sociales sugiere que eran símbolos de prestigio y diferenciación.
Este pendiente combina una variedad de rasgos antropomorfos y zoomorfos. La silueta es la de una figura humana, cuyos brazos están representados con líneas incisas horizontales. Dos perforaciones redondas toman el lugar de los ojos, mientras que las orejas son en realidad figurillas diminutas de lagartijas. La representación altamente abstracta de los rasgos faciales dificulta determinar si se trata de un rostro humano o de ave, ambos motivos comunes en los pendientes de piedras verdes.
Amanda Suárez Calderón, 2025
Lecturas adicionales
Hoopes, John. “Magical Substances in the Land between the Seas.” In Golden Kingdoms. Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, edited by Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum and The Getty Research Institute, 2017.
Kuboyama-Haraikawa, Waka. Celtiform Pendants from Pre-Columbian Costa Rica. Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 2023.
McEwan, Colin, and John Hoopes, eds. Pre-Columbian Art from Central America and Colombia at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2021.
Artwork Details
- Title: Celt pendant
- Artist: Greater Nicoya or Central region artitst(s)
- Date: 1–500 CE
- Geography: Costa Rica
- Culture: Guanacaste-Nicoya
- Medium: Jade quartz (chrysoprase or prase)
- Dimensions: H. 3 1/2 x W. 1 3/4 x D. 5/8 in. (8.9 x 4.5 x 1.6 cm)
- Classification: Stone-Ornaments
- Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.206.841
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Central Region artist(s)
300–700 CE
Chiriquí artist(s)
700–1550 CE
Greater Nicoya or Central region artitst(s)
100–800 CE
Central Region artist(s)
300–800 CE
Greater Nicoya or Central region artitst(s)
100–800 CE
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.