Curly-Tailed Animal Pendant

A favored Initial-style subject is a charming animal whose curly tail -- its most impressive feature -- may derive from a monkey's. Its other traits vary considerably, causing it to be identified as everything from a dog to a duck. Initial-style gold ornaments represent Panama's oldest metalwork. Since metal technologies appeared suddenly and fully developed in Panama, it is likely that they were introduced from the outside, probably from Colombia to the south.

Credit: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund