In the context of Pre-Columbian art and archaeology, jade is a generic term that refers to any variety of hard, dense stones that were worked with great skill by native artists. Although jade is generally thought to be green, it can actually be a range of colors. Jade carving flourished in ancient Costa Rica for over a thousand years, roughly from 500 B.C. to 900 A.D., although the period of greatest artistic accomplishment lasted from 300 to 700 A.D. It is believed that jade working began during an extended period of agricultural abundance that allowed the ancient society to dedicate part of its energies toward the cultivation of artistic pursuits.

Jade was considered to be a sacred material by the ancient populations of Costa Rica, held in even higher esteem than gold. Generally, it was thought to symbolize that vital life force that sustains us all. The color green is naturally associated with verdant plant life. Specifically, jade was thought to symbolize the sprouting maize plant, that staple of the Pre-Columbian diet. It has also been suggested that jade represents water. Either way, we can be certain that jade represented the very essence of life itself.

To date, no native sources of jade have been discovered in Costa Rica, suggesting an extended trade network existed that imported this precious resource from Mesoamerica into Costa Rica where it was carved by local artists. Such trade also would have brought great wealth and likely reinforced the social stratification of the peoples. Jade may have served as a status marker to distinguish the elite from the masses and solidify their hold on power. We can picture an ancient ruler or shaman presiding over a sacred ceremonial adorned in brilliant green jade pendants and jewelry. The ancient Costa Ricans believe that the system of social hierarchy also extended into the afterlife. Therefore, jade objects were buried with the elite so that their power could be maintained throughout eternity.

This pendant is marvelously rich with energy and highly complex mythologically. It portrays a human figure arrayed as a bird, most probably the harpy eagle. The relative degree of ‘humanness’ or ‘birdness,’ however, is highly variable. Depending on your perspective, it may appear to be an obviously masked human or perhaps something much more ambiguous. Most likely, this pendant depicts a shaman or chieftain-shaman with high political as well as religious status. The harpy eagle may have been chosen as a symbol of strength and nobility among birds. It is reclusive in nature, a dweller in the high forest canopy and a striking image when glimpsed with its two high tufts of feathers like horns, which are clearly depicted on this pendant. When the pendant is turned to lie on its left side, at the bottom, there appears to be an anthropomorphic creature. The legs or arms of the ‘masked shaman’ have been transformed into feathers, an eye and a beak. Perhaps it is a side profile of the harpy eagle, itself. In addition, there may appear to be monkey, jaguar or other animalistic characteristics as well as the characteristics of the harpy eagle. The harpy eagle is a high-soaring species, and it is possible that they were viewed as emissaries, the all-seeing ‘eyes and ears’ of the shaman-eagle. We are left to ponder the connection between the harpy eagle and the shaman, and the awakened insights this object has brought to our own inner spirits.