Nov 7, 2011
Nov 7, 2011

Bat-Nosed Figures Pendant

Bat-Nosed Figures Pendant

1000–1550

Cast gold

Overall: 4.2 x 8.1 x 1.6 cm (1 5/8 x 3 3/16 x 5/8 in.)

Thirty-fifth anniversary gift of Mrs. Albert Ingalls 1951.153

Description

Both pendants depict paired figures with tusklike noses. The "tusks" perhaps refer to the upswept nose of the leaf-nosed bat, an agile hunter whose "leaf" helps it to snatch prey from midair. The bat's success as a hunter is part of the reason that some identify such paired figures as warriors. They each hold a paddle-shaped object; the larger pair, in elaborate costumes, also clutches staffs.

Video

The Lost-Wax Casting Process
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