Bat-Nosed Figures Pendant, 1000-1550. Both pendants depict paired figures with tusklike noses. The "tusks" perhaps refer to the upswept nose of the leaf-nosed bat, an agile hunter whose "leaf" helps it to snatch prey from midair. The bat's success as a hunter is part of the reason that some identify such paired figures as warriors. They each hold a paddle-shaped object; the larger pair, in elaborate costumes, also clutches staffs.

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Size: 1868px × 1536px
Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 11th-16th, art, azuero, cast, century, cleveland, gold, heritage, metalwork, museum, panama, parita, peninsula, style, unknown