Bidspirit auction | Pre-Columbian gold medallion, Mesoamerica, 12th

Pre-Columbian gold medallion, Mesoamerica, 12th century - Weight: 18.7 g. Dimensions: Height 2.5 cm; width 4.3 cm. Gold medallion depicting a Mayan king wearing a headdress. The medallion was crafted using the traditional technique of pre-Columbian gold objects, that is, by fitting together the front and back parts of the piece without any type of soldering. The medallion features two small holes on the left and right sides, where originally a cord was inserted to allow the object to be worn as a pendant. The bond between Mayan kings and the deities was indissoluble, so this representation served a religious function. A dating consistent with the 12th to 15th centuries is proposed, supported by the presence of natural, multi-century encrustations.