Diquís Harpy Eagle Pendant

This gold pendant (700–1550) from southern Costa Rica shows a stylized harpy eagle with outstretched, curved wings and a flaring tail. Raised beaded rows along the wings emphasize plumage and motion. Worn by Diquís elites, such ornaments signaled status and evoked the harpy eagle’s association with sky powers, keen vision, and protective ancestral forces.