Jewelry is one art form which has a dual nature; it can be seen as pure ornamentation without deeper significance; or as something of beauty with a hidden meaning. For the ancient Costa Ricans, gold taken from streams meant nothing to them as a raw material. It's glitter had no value in itself. What gave a lump of gold great worth was when it was placed in the hands of a master artist, who then fashioned it into something not only beautiful, but also profound. This very adorable turtle is both realistic and abstract. The Costa Rican artist did not work in abstraction for the sake of design only, as would a modern artist. Details had to mean something; symbols seen as a visual language were understood immediately. This is why imagery on jewelry was very specific, intended as a more than representations of nature. The "clips" on the fins and twisted chords over the shell can be interpreted as a type of harness. For someone wearing this pendant, perhaps even a shaman, it could represent a person who has conquered the elements, who comprehends the world of nature and is able to utilize such knowledge in a constructive way. As an outward sign of symbolism this pendant is real and mythical at once, containing a power that goes beyond gold, beyond imagination even, allowing us to feel a beauty within that is truly magic. ....trudy