A Pre-Columbian Green Agate Toucan Amulet, Tairona Culture, ca. 500 - 1000 CE

This artfully carved amulet has taken unique advantage of the natural variations found in this gorgeous green moss agate. The rich dark stone is skillfully carved to portray a toucan, the head slightly raised, and the long beak, cleverly designated by a natural white border, is of a lighter green and features touches of yellow to the tip. The body has incised lines to infer wings, while the base is pierced for stringing.  Among the Tairona, whose culture flourished in the Caribbean coastal plain and foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, leaders and shaman believed that they could use bodily adornments in the form of symbolic animals - jaguars as well as crocodiles, birds, and others - to demonstrate prowess as well as cross earthly boundaries into the realm of the deities. Moss agate’s living, “mossy” inclusions likely added symbolic potency in addition to its visual appeal. Medium: Green "moss" agate Dimensions: Height: 1 inch (2.5 cm) Condition: Intact a