Feline Pendant
Unknown Artist
1000–1550
Medium
gold, cast
Dimensions
w. 3.4 cm, d. 3 cm, l. 6.1 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
Accession Number
2015.11
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This memorable jaguar pendant is a nasty precious—nasty because it holds a severed limb (probably human) in its fanged mouth but precious due to its material, its well-polished silky surface, and the charming rendering, which reduces the jaguar to cartoon-like essentials. The warm, rosy color is the result of copper in the alloy.