NMNH A074673-0: Gold Ornament, Bird

Primary Title:

NMNH A074673-0: Gold Ornament, Bird

Alternate Title: Owner Object Name

Gold Ornament, Bird

Keyword Type: Object Class

Pendant

Keyword Type: Object Sub-class

Zoo-Bird

Keyword Type: Owner Provenience Record Type

Accession docs/letters Publication

Keyword Type: Exam Methods

Visual Microscopy

Identifier: Object Number

74673-0

Identifier: Owner Accession Number

A074673-0

Identifier: Owner Catalog Number

013654

Note: Owner Information Source

PreColumbian Master; Panama Gold

Note: Object Description

Small open back cast bird pendant with single suspension loop in back of neck, hemispherical body with projecting feet, ball in ring eyes on either side of head, fleshy protrusion from top of beak, and closed hooked beak. The wings and tail are thin and flat.

Note: Owner Accession

Collected by McNiel by 1883

Note: Research Notes

Look for info on McNiel excavations prior to 1883 Holmes: "The example shown in fig. 7 is of the simplest type and the rudest workmanship...the body wings, and tail are hammered quite thin and are left frayed and uneven on the edges. The material appears to be nearly pure copper, plated with yellow gold."

Note: Bibliographic References

Holmes, W.H. 1887 "The Use of Gold and Other Metals among the Ancient Inhabitants of Chiriqui" Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 3. Smithsonian: Washington DC. Illustrated on pg.17, fig.7

Note: Condition Review

Edges are mostly chipped and broken, showing black interior, but almost whole. Small chip on end of PL wing, and in PL side of tail. Most of gold surface is still present but appears to have undergone interdendritic corrosion as a dendritic pattern is present over all surfaces. The PL wing tip i s heavily scratched. Light brown and dark brown accretions present in the back indentation of the body. A star symbol is painted on back in red

Note: Follow-up Notes

Special Followup Re-do. Dendrites are clear all over surface. Take microphotographs

Note: Analysis Recommendations

XRF X-ray radiograph ESEM-EDS

Time Period: Owner Accession Date

1883

Time Period: Examination Date

11/21/2008

Place: Object Origin

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

Place: Curation Location

Local place: 1103A00403

Actor: Object Excavator

J.A.Mcniel

Actor: Owner Accession Source

Mcniel, J. A.; through Agents J.S. Lamson & Bros. Lamson; Purchase; 12 specimens

Actor: Object Owner

NMNH

Actor: Examination Operator

ACH

Condition: Corrosion

Note: Green-Surface Black-Core

Condition: Coloration

Note: Gold

Condition: Pseudomorphs

Note: None

Materials:

Gold Alloy

Technique: Fabrication Method

Cast- Open Back Note: Large dendrites present all over surface. Interior of open back appears pitted from casting

Technique: Joinery

Note: All in wax model

Technique: Finishing

Note: Surface Enrichment Other. There is black corrosion in the center of the cross section and a gold surface layer, however, the surface layer has extensive interdendritic corrosion and dendrites visible- which would indicate that there was no finishing. Could be natural segregation causing some surface enrichment and preferential corrosion of interior.

Measurements:

Type:Number of Components Value:1 Units:components

PID	Type	Title	Metadata	URL
si_2768660		A74673_a_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_a_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-0 overall, recto (2008)	Download
si_2768661		A74673_b_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_b_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-0 overall, recto (2008)	Download
si_2768662		A74673_c_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_c_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-0 overall, verso (2008)	Download
si_2768663		A74673_d_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_d_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-0 overall, verso (2008)	Download
si_2768664		A74673_e_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_e_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-0 overall, recto (2008)	Download
si_2768670		A74673_1_a_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_1_a_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-1 overall, verso (2008)	Download
si_2768671		A74673_1_b_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_1_b_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-1 overall, recto (2008)	Download
si_2768672		A074673_1	TitleInfo/title A074673_1 Abstract NMNH A074673-0 or -1 (?) detail - SEM 2009 image	Download
si_2768673		A074673_2	TitleInfo/title A074673_2 Abstract NMNH A074673-0 or -1 (?) detail - SEM 2009 image	Download
si_2768674		A074673_3	TitleInfo/title A074673_3 Abstract NMNH A074673-0 or -1 (?) detail - SEM 2009 image	Download
si_2768675		A074673_4	TitleInfo/title A074673_4 Abstract NMNH A074673-0 or -1 (?) detail - SEM 2009 image	Download
si_2768676		A074673_5	TitleInfo/title A074673_5 Abstract NMNH A074673-0 or -1 (?) detail - SEM 2009 image	Download
si_2768684		A74673_1_c_20081128_ach	TitleInfo/title A74673_1_c_20081128_ach Abstract NMNH A074673-1 overall, recto (2008)	Download
si_568e85157c4b5		Analysis Results (NMNH 746730)	Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/origin ACH Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/pubdate Unpublished material Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title Analysis Results (NMNH 746730) Idinfo/citation/citeinfo/geoform tabular digital data Idinfo/timeperd/timeinfo/rngdates/begdate 11/21/2008 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 X-ray radiograph 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