NMNH A382241: Ornament - Couger

Primary Title:

NMNH A382241: Ornament - Couger

Alternate Title: Owner Object Name

Ornament - Couger

Keyword Type: Object Class

Pendant

Keyword Type: Object Sub-class

Zoo-Felid-Cougar

Keyword Type: Owner Provenience Record Type

Accession docs/letters

Keyword Type: Exam Methods

Visual Microscopy

Identifier: Object Number

NMNH A382241-0

Identifier: Owner Accession Number

A382241-0

Identifier: Owner Catalog Number

159473

Note: Owner Information Source

PreColumbian Master; Panama Gold

Note: Object Description

Open back cast pendant of a cougar with thick burnished gold layer on surface and copper alloy underneath.

Note: Owner Accession

Gold plated figurine ornaments from Prov. of Veraguas, Panama, collected y Sr. Juan Gratacos, Panama, and from him purchased (Order no.10987) through Dr.J.A Mason. No data on exact site or conditions of finding. All cast in molds and thinly plated

Note: Research Notes

Accession records specify "no info on site." Juan Gratacos, however, did send Lothrop site info on objects at Peabody from Veraguas.

Note: Condition Review

Fragmentary- Loss of both front feet, parts of ears and backfeet. The tail and two other small sections are present as separate fragments. The gold surface is very well preserved except that corrosion underneath has caused the gold to begin flaking and there are several losses in the gold. Pockets of bronze disease are visible in the base alloy where the gold has flaked off the surface and the Cu-alloy appears very porous in areas. There is no build up of corrosion, however, over the surface of the object. A large patch of dirt is present on the underside near the break in the tail and a resin-like substance is present on the opposite side.

Note: Follow-up Notes

The cross section of the small fragments would be ideal for ESEM-EDS.. It appears to be a thick layer of gold at the surface. Would allow investigation of method of gilding.

Note: Analysis Recommendations

XRF ESEM-EDS

Time Period: Owner Accession Date

1941

Time Period: Examination Date

11/7/2008

Place: Object Origin

Geographic Zone: VGC Country: Panama Province: Veraguas Site: No info Place Time Period: Site Period

Place: Curation Location

Local place: 1103A00404

Actor: Object Excavator

Sr.Juan Gratacos

Actor: Owner Accession Source

Mason, J Alden; 1941-Mar-29; Purchase; 15 specimens

Actor: Object Owner

NMNH

Actor: Examination Operator

ACH

Condition: Corrosion

Note: Black-core; Green-core. The gold surface is very well preserved except that corrosion underneath has caused the gold to begin flaking and there are several losses in the gold. Pockets of bronze disease are visible in the base alloy

Condition: Coloration

Note: Gold. Where the surface hasn't flaked off, it appears gold

Condition: Pseudomorphs

Note: None

Materials:

Gold Alloy Note: Cu alloy underneath (porous and coppery with pockets of bronze disease) with a thick layer of gold at the surface.

Technique: Fabrication Method

Cast- Open Back Note: Open back cast. There is a casting flaw in the teeth of the cougar. There is an interesting fingerprint like texture on the underside (dendritic structure?)

Technique: Joinery

Note: All cast

Technique: Finishing

Note: Polished Surface Enrichment. Most surfaces appear compact and shiny with very small repetitive micro scratches in the gold surface.. likely burnished

Measurements:

Type:Number of Components Value:1 Units:components

PID	Type	Title	Metadata	URL
si_2769033		A382241_145Kv_03_04_09-adj	TitleInfo/title A382241_145Kv_03_04_09-adj Abstract NMNH A382241 overall - X-radiograph (2009)	Download
si_2769034		A382241_a_20081112_ach	TitleInfo/title A382241_a_20081112_ach Abstract NMNH A382241 overall, recto (2008)	Download
si_2769035		A382241_b_20081112_ach	TitleInfo/title A382241_b_20081112_ach Abstract NMNH A382241 overall, verso (2008)	Download
si_2769036		A382241_c_20081112_ach	TitleInfo/title A382241_c_20081112_ach Abstract NMNH A382241 overall, proper right side (2008)	Download
si_568e85156f60b		Analysis Results (NMNH 3822410)	Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/origin ACH Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/pubdate Unpublished material Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title Analysis Results (NMNH 3822410) Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/geoform tabular digital data Idinfo/timeperd/timeinfo/rngdates/begdate 11/7/2008 Idinfo/timeperd/current observed Idinfo/status/progress Done Idinfo/status/update As Needed Idinfo/keywords/theme/themekt None Idinfo/keywords/place/placekt None Idinfo/keywords/stratum/stratkt None Idinfo/keywords/temporal/tempkt None Idinfo/taxonomy/keywtax/taxonkt None Idinfo/taxonomy/keywtax/taxonkey None Idinfo/taxonomy/taxonsys/classsys/classcit/citeinfo/pubdate Unpublished material Idinfo/taxonomy/taxonsys/classsys/classcit/citeinfo/geoform database Idinfo/taxonomy/taxoncl/taxonrn Species Idinfo/taxonomy/taxoncl/taxonrv Unknown Idinfo/taxonomy/taxoncl/common Unknown Idinfo/secinfo/secclass Sensitive Dataqual/lineage/method/methodid/methkt None Dataqual/lineage/method/methodid/methkey None Dataqual/lineage/method/methdesc Visual Microscopy Dataqual/lineage/method/methdesc[2] Analysis: XRF ESEM-EDS Spdoinfo/direct Point Spdoinfo/rastinfo/rasttype Voxel Spref/horizsys/geograph/geogunit Decimal degrees Spref/vertdef/altsys/altunits feet Spref/vertdef/altsys/altenc Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates Spref/vertdef/depthsys/depthem Attribute values Eainfo/detailed/attr/attrmfrq Unknown Distinfo/distrib/cntinfo/cntaddr/addrtype Mailing Metainfo/metc/cntinfo/cntaddr/addrtype Mailing Metainfo/metstdn FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Metainfo/metstdv 1999 Metainfo/metsi/metsc None	Download