The Institute's Pre-Columbian collection, which included Mexican, Central America and South American objects in various media representing periods from about the fifth to sixteenth centuries A.D., has recently been augmented by a series of small gold, and gold with shell objects from sites of indigenous American culture in Panama, the Canal Zone and Costa Rica. All but one of the new pieces are from burial areas near the town of Sona, Veraguas Province, Panama, and at Howard Air Field, Venada Beach, in the Canal Zone. The single object from Costa Rica, a cast gold figure of a standing man holding a rattle, is from the South Central region of that country near the town of Buenos Aires. Their accession has been made possible through the Lillian Z. Turnblad Fund.The following is a brief descriptive list of the new objects:

1. NECKLACE of gold tubular beads cast by the lost wax method. Found in deep shaft burial near town of Sona, Province of Veraguas, Panama. 15 bead-tubes, the central one with double rattle. [Approximately 15 1/4 inches in length, opened.]
2. PENDANT, probably representing a Jaguar. Cast gold, lost wax method, showing part of the clay and charcoal core. Discovered at Venada Beach, an ancient burial site at Howard Air Field in the Canal Zone. This new site has revealed a culture similar to the Coole people over 100 miles north and a strong link with South American metal artistry. [Length: 3 5/8 inches.]
3. ALLIGATOR PENDANT of cast gold with spangles on back. Part of Venada Beach find. [Length: 3 inches.]
4. FOUR FROGS cast in one mold with connecting links. Found at Venada Beach burial. [Width of group: 3 9/16 inches.]
5. BREAST PLAQUE of beaten and embossed gold. Five breast motifs. Found in Veraguas Province burial, Panama. [Diameter: 9 1/4 inches.]
6. DOUBLE ZOOMORPHIC FIGURE PENDANT with three spangles and inverted figure with elaborate headdress. Cast by the lost wax method. Found in Veraguas Province, Panama. [Width: 8 7/8 inches.]
7. BREAST PLAQUE of beaten gold from Sona region of Veraguas Province, Panama. Three breast motifs. [Maximum diameter: 5 1/4 inches.]
8. BREAST PLAQUE of beaten gold from Sona region of Veraguas Province, Panama. Three breast motifs. [Maximum diameter: 4 15/16 inches.]
9. MAN WITH RATTLE. Lost wax casting in gold. Found in the South Central region of Costa Rica near town of Buenos Aires. [Height: 2 3/8 inches.]
10. MONKEY HOLDING ITS TAIL. Veraguas Province burial, near town of Sona, Panama. Costa Rica new town of Buenos Aires. [Height: 2 9/16 inches.]
11. NOSE RING of bluish stone tipped with beaten gold. From Venada Beach burial in Canal Zone. [Diameter: 1 11/16 inches.]
12. NOSE RING of red shell tipped with beaten gold. From Venada Beach burial in Canal zone. [Diameter 1 7/8 inches.]

Referenced Works of Art

1. Cast gold pendant representing a jaguar. From Pre-Columbian burial site at Venada Beach, Panama. Length: 3 5/8 inches.
2. Man with rattle. Cast gold. From South Central Costa Rica near Buenos Aires. Height: 2 3/8 inches.
3. Monkey holding its tail. Cast gold. From Sona, Veraguas Province, Panama. Height: 2 9/16 inches.