Coclé Gold Double Pendant of Musicians, circa AD 800-1500

Identical double figures are a classic genre of Isthmus goldwork, seen in Diquís, Veraguas and Coclé figures. The two-figure pendant form may allude to ancestor lineage or the importance of duality respected in all living things. Jones notes that dual images of either paired figures or single figures with two heads are associated with musical iconography (Julie Jones, ed., The Art of Precolumbian Gold: The Jan Mitchell Collection, New York, 1985, p. 102).

These ceremonial figures prominently hold conical instruments to their mouths, the deep forms perhaps once inlaid. They each grasp trapezoidal staffs with their slender arms. With coffee-bean-style eyes emitting a trance-like effect, they appear deeply engaged in the ritual. Their naked youthful torsos are finely cast to show musculature and are adorned with serrated flanges from the waistbands and crested headdresses. Each figure has double suspension loops on the back.