Central American Native Art Photos

While few in number, the Native Americans in Central America in what are now the countries of Costa Rica, Panama & parts of Columbia left behind a legacy of fine golden scuptures plus some ceramics.

See also: Native American Arts, Captions List for Costa Rica
Click photo to enlarge.
Pre-Columbian Panamanian gold crocodile at Museum of Natural History. New York, NY

Coclé gold & stone pectoral with twin figures (500-1520 AD) from Panama at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Panama Coclé culture gold double pendant in form of mythical caymans (800-1200) at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

Diquis & Tairona gold frog pendants (500-1600 AD) from Costa Rica & Colombia at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Cast gold frog pendants of Parita culture, Panama (12th-16th C) at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY

Hammered gold funerary mask from Llama (Calima) culture, Colombia (5th-1st C BCE) at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY

Hammered gold arm ornament from Yotoco (Calima) culture, Colombia (1st-7th C) at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY

Pre-Columbian Panamanian gold figure at Museum of Natural History. New York, NY

Tairona gold avian pendant (1000-1600 AD) from Colombia at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Panama Veraguas culture cast gold male figure (1000-1500) at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL

Cast gold masked figure pendant of Veraguas culture, Panama (12th-16th C) at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY

Diquis gold insect deity pendant (500-1520 AD) from Costa Rica at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Cast gold deer-head figure pendant of Chiriquí culture, Costa Rica (11th-16th C) at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY

Gold pendant of animal with three heads (700-1400) from Guanecoste Region of Costa Rica at New Orleans Museum of Art. New Orleans, LA

Gold pendant of man with headdress (700-1400) from Guanecoste Region of Costa Rica at New Orleans Museum of Art. New Orleans, LA

Gold pendant with clawed creature (700-1400) from Guanecoste Region of Costa Rica at New Orleans Museum of Art. New Orleans, LA

Columbian ceramic male figure with headdress (1000-1400) at LACMA. Los Angeles, CA

Plumbate ware human figure from Southwester Guatemala at Museum of Natural History. New York, NY

Guatemalan ceramic vessel with head of deity (900-1200) at LACMA. Los Angeles, CA

Cocle ceramic vessel painted with bird perhaps Tinamou (800-1100) from Panama at LA County Natural History Museum. Los Angeles, CA

Chinautla pottery bowl of face with mustache (1950s) from Guatemala at Museo de las Americas. Denver, CO


All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.