ANCIENT GOLD FROM COSTA RICA 
with peculiar headdresses and with vari- 
ous objects carried in the hands. Some- 
times they are joined in pairs. Many 
of the most beautiful amulets are frogs 
arranged either singly or in groups of 
two or three. These little figures are 
all provided on the under side with a 
ring for suspension. Lizards, turtles and 
crocodiles or alligators, are also rep- 
resented in amulets. Clamshells were 
used as beads and clever imitations of 
them were made in gold. The monkey 
is an interesting subject, and we find it 
treated in the gold work much as it is 
treated in the stone sculptures. 
Perhaps the most numerous amulets 
are those which figure birds with out- 
stretched wings. Many of them are of 
the vulture and harpy eagle types. 
Others represent the gull, the man-of- 
war bird and the parrot. An interesting 
series of ornaments shows the amalga- 
mation of two birds into a single figure. 
Among the unique examples in the 
Keith collection are a large spider with 
egg ball attached, a fine figure of the 
tapir, a curiously conventionalized but- 
terfly, and a number of pins and odd 
pendants which represent highly modi- 
fied crocodiles and monkeys. 
The more elaborate specimens of 
ancient Costa Rican gold work deal with 
religious subjects. In particular the 
crocodile was deified and elaborated. 
It is often represented with a human 
body and a characteristic animal head. 
The profile of the crocodile head is used 
to embellish other forms. In pottery 
and stone sculpture as well, the crocodile 
motive is very prominent, while the 
jaguar and various sorts of birds are 
seen in many examples. 
Perhaps the finest specimens of gold 
work in the Keith collection are those 
which show some of the highly conven- 
tionalized figures of gods. One series of 
such figures have canopies made of 
313 
rectangular gold plates on standards. 
Others show the animal-god in question 
performing some act. Examples of this 
are two bird divinities, one with a lizard 
and the other with a flying fish in its 
mouth. In both cases the headdresses 
of these deified birds are elaborated 
with the profile head of the crocodile. 
In another instance a bird is shown with 
a fish in its mouth while four fish are 
attached to its head and legs. 
Gold and copper bells served as a 
medium of exchange among the peoples 
of Mexico and Central America. They 
were all of the hawk’s bell type. The 
gold bells of Costa Rica are exquisite 
examples of metal work. Many of 
them are modeled in the form of birds, 
monkeys and grotesque heads. 
Most of the tribes of Costa Rica 
belong to the Chibchan linguistic stock 
and are connected with the Indians of 
Colombia. The languages however are 
differentiated to such an extent as to be 
mutually unintelligible. The political 
units at the time of the Conquest were 
small and there was no centralized 
government. The Nicoyan peninsula 
in northwestern Costa Rica and adja- 
cent territory near Lake Nicaragua was 
inhabited by the Chorotega or Mangue 
Indians of a different linguistic stock. 
Intrusive Nahuan tribes from the high- 
lands of Mexico were also found here. 
Gold becomes scarcer as we go north 
from Colombia and Panama but identi- 
cal processes of metal-working were in 
use as far north as Central Mexico. The 
succession and interrelation of the vari- 
ous ancient civilizations have only been 
roughly blocked out for the Isthmian 
area. There isno doubt that the artistic 
development extended over many centu- 
ries. Many features of art and tech- 
nology can be traced to Mexico and it 
is hoped that future study will bring to 
light connections with Peru. 
