A Costa Rican Jadeite Hybrid Pendant Amulet, Late Formative to Early Classic period ca. 300 - 500 CE Byzantine Dimensions: Pendant height: 1 3/8

Dimensions: Pendant height: 1 3/8 inches (3

with a thread of yellow marvered into the body

showcasing the craftsmanship of the period

for a few centuries in the mid-first millennium CE

features a gracefully curved body decorated with granulated circles and terminating in two finely modeled horse heads

A Costa Rican Jadeite Hybrid Pendant Amulet, Late Formative to Early Classic period ca. 300 - 500 CE Byzantine Dimensions: Pendant height: 1 3/8This finely carved pendant depicts a composite zoomorphic figure, merging characteristics of an armadillo and a bird, rendered in the abstract, angular style of Greater Nicoya jade artistry. The compact, armored body, rounded snout, and upright posture evoke the nine banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), a nocturnal burrowing animal common in Central America. In contrast, the prominent tail, raised crest, and flared rear elements resemble avian