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Pair of Earrings

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Pair of Earrings

Artist:
Culture: Zenú
Period: Pre-Columbian
Date: A.D. 500-1000
Medium: Gold or gold alloy
Dimensions:
h. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm); w. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
Credit Line: The D. Joseph Judge, M.D. Collection donated by the Judge Family
Object number: 2002.24.1.a-b
Provenance: ex-collection of D. Joseph Judge, MD; by inheritance to James T. Judge, Pelham, AL, by 2002; by donation to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 2002
Label Text
These earrings were created using the lost wax cast method by peoples of the Zenú culture who lived in the gold-rich, Caribbean coastal region of Columbia. The zig-zag pattern within the semi-circular area is thought to replicate patterns seen on snakeskin. Along the top, flat portion of the earrings are four animals meant to represent mammals, such as deer or felines. Animals are one of the most common motifs in Zenú goldwork and are symbolically linked to Zenú concepts of the cosmos. (BC, 2020)
On view


The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.



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