A Large and Important Gran Cocle Gold Pendant
In all world cultures there appears an archetype known as the Master of Animals -- or a Mistress of Animals as in Minoan Crete -- a mythological character who charms and attracts wild beasts. Think of Daniel in the lion's den from the Bible and the many paintings that show the Buddha surrounded by animals. In Hinduism the god Shiva is known as Pasupati, literally "Lord of the Animals". I am thrilled to bring to auction this lustrous gold Master of Animals that would have been worn as a pendant by a chief in Panama over 1500 years ago. He appears to be holding a cylindrical drum; so, like Orpheus in ancient Greece, perhaps music was part of what attracted the beasts to him. The braided arch around him is held in the mouth of four snakes that emanate from the sides of his head and knees. |
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