Costa Rica or Panama
Deer pendant, c. 400–900
Cast gold
2 15/16 x 1 5/8 inches
The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Norweb Collection, 1952.325

Deer are only rarely represented in gold by Central American cultures. More common are portrayals of predators or animals that are somehow dangerous. The long, arching tail on this figure, unlike that of any real deer, puts this pendant in the category of ornaments depicting supernatural curly-tailed animals. The tail invests the ordinary food animal with greater spiritual force. Deer were believed to have aided the gods’ creation of the ocean by running in a circle, thus clearing a space. They were associated with flight because of their ability to move fast.