This finial, or staff head, is one of the largest lost-wax castings recovered from the Sind archaeological zone. The Sind peoples lived in the lowlands of what is now northwestern Colombia and perfected a realistic sculptural style. This finial slipped onto the end of a wooden rod too thin to support any serious weight. For this reason, and because the birds are best viewed horizontally, it probably decorated a ceremonial staff.

Courtesy of the National Museum of the American Indian, presented by Harmon W. Hendricks, 1920.