Tairona Culture Gold Masked Figure Pendant 10th/16th centuries, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region (now northern Colombia), the male figure depicted akimbo with semi-circular headdress, temeta and holding a double-scrolled staff. h. 2", w. 1-3/8"; 19.4 gr. Provenance: Estate of Louis Tenenbaum, Houston, Texas; gift of Iacopo Gambini (accompanied by a notecard dated December 30, 1999 documenting the gift from Gambini to Tenenbaum). Notes: Iacopo "Jake" Giovanni Gambini (1932-2004) arrived from Santa Maria del Giudice, Italy through Ellis Island as a boy, and his family settled in Galveston, Texas. He received a degree in geology from the University of Texas, and spent 30 years at the General Pipe Service in Colombia. There he became an expert and keen collector of Tairona artifacts. Many of his pieces were donated to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, where they remain conserved.
Estimate $1,500-2,500
Sold for $4,750
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