Photographer: Andrea Blumtritt | Rights management: Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 4.0 International
The largely symmetrical object combines the attributes of different species (human, lizard, bat, snake). It appears to depict a bimorphic male twin. The body structure and posture point to anthropomorphic characteristics. The design of the heads, on the other hand, indicates lizard- and bat-like characteristics. The wide mouths of the twin creatures correspond to the zoomorphic stone sculptures of the Palmar group (1550-1000d.C.). The bellies of the bimorphic figures are slightly swollen. The high and low metal mouldings can be understood as double-headed reptiles due to their opposing applications. Despite their large surface area, the trapezoidal panels have no applied decoration. While the central figures appear in frontal perspective, the lateral motifs are depicted in side profile. All the figures appear to be highly agitated. The suspended sound discs completely conceal the figures depicted. They are only visible when the objects are hung horizontally. The incomplete reworking of the pendant seems to indicate its original use as a burial object. (Künne 2005)
