Animal pendant A.D. 1-1000 Central American Isthmus This pendant depicts an animal, with features of a bird and a mammal. The animal is shown at rest, with its front legs and feet slightly elevated, suggesting alternatively that it is preparing to move. The object is solid and was made by lost-wax casting. Artists first designed the object as a wax model, all as one piece (please see Metropolitan Museum of Art 2008.569.13a, b for a more detailed discussion of lost-wax casting). The creature has protruding eyes in the shape of cylinders with rounded ends. It has a downturned nose and there is a wide, raised band of metal that extends from the tip of the nose towards the back of the animal, blending in with its tail. This band has three incisions, most likely made by the artist during the construction of the wax model. The incisions suggest the texture of the animals skin or pelage. The animal has four legs and feet. The legs project downward and diagonally and in all cases are inward f