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South America -
Colombia
Muisca
Gold & Metals Exhibit |
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Muisca Gold & Metal Artifacts
From Central Colombia
From the year
600 A.D. onwards, the Eastern Range was gradually inhabited by various
peoples from the Chibcha linguistic family, who came from Central America.
In 1536, the Europeans found Muiscas, Guanes, Laches, Chitareros and other
groups, all of whom had economic, ritual and symbolic links and considered
themselves to be close relatives. Bird-man breastplates and pottery pitchers
are indications of this shared view of the world.
Chibcha life was
deeply imbued with religious precepts. The priests, who were called 'jeques',
inhaled a hallucinatory substance so they could communicate with mythical
beings, and restored the balance in the universe by offering up figures of
men, women, asexual beings and scenes, and a whole multitude of animals and
everyday objects, all of which they placed in offering receptacles with
human, animal, phallic or hut shapes. Even during the colonial era, the
bodies of leading dignitaries were preserved as mummies and placed in deep
caves, wrapped in several layers of blankets, nets and skins, with votive
figures. |
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Avian Objects
Avian design depicting bird like
designs or motifs |
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Avian Pendant
Metropolitan Museum |
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Bird Pendant
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection
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Bird Bead Necklace
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection
click photos
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enlarge |
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Offering Objects
Complex gold objects
used for ceremonies and offerings |
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Gold Raft Object
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
Pasca, Cundinamarca
10,2 x 19,5 x
10,1
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Offering
Object / Votive
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
Pasca, Cundinamarca
8,3 x 22,6 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
Shamanistic/Demonistic
Shamanistic or
Demonistic designs depicting a shaman
dressed in mask or costume or a demonistic figure |
Image Is
Not true color
British Museum Collection |
Gold
pectoral -
Muisca,
AD 700-1500 From Colombia Height:
19.6 cm
This ornament
is in the Muisca style typical of the Colombian highlands. It represents a
human figure, possibly a shaman, with outstretched arms and legs. A pair of
stylized auxiliary birds flank the figure and look upwards.
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Several elements link this artifact to the theme of
shamanic flight. The individual depicted wears a bird-beak head ornament.
The rayed headdress probably represents a crown of brilliantly colored
feathers. Among the Kogi and the Tukano, the crown is variously said to be
the sun's rays or the visible manifestation of the luminous aura that
emanates from powerful shamans. The rhythmic movement and brilliance of the
feather crowns would have exerted a compelling visual impression on
participants in rituals while in a state of ecstatic trance. The same effect
could have been provoked by the glittering of the mobile round plaques that
hang from the rings around the headdress and chest. |
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Gold Cast Pendant
600 a 1600 d.C. 8 cm.
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Tumbaga Gold
Figure |
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Muisca Tumbaga Figure -
Muisca Culture Colombia
c. 1000 C.E. 3"h.
William Siegal Galleries Collection
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click photos
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enlarge |
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Ornamental Gold Objects
Ornamental designs or motifs
without animal or human characteristics |
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Gold rings possibly
Muisca
made from beaten gold wire
Colombia
10th-16th centuryPrivate Collection |
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Gold rings possibly
Muisca
made from beaten gold wire
Colombia
10th-16th centuryPrivate Collection |
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Gold Laminate Diadem
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
Sogamoso, Boyacá
6,5 x 22,8 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Nose Ring
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
14,6 x 18,9 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Tumbaga Pectoral
600 d.C. - 1600
d.C.
Guatavita, Cundinamarca
21 x 22,5 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum
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Gold Pectoral
1080 d.C.
Varela, Chiquinquirá, Boyacá
15 x 14,5
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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click photos
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enlarge |
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Gold Nose Ring
Columbian
Gold Museum
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Tunjos/Votive Figures
Unusual Tunjos votive
figurines depicting a shaman
dressed in mask or costume or a demonistic figures |
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Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Four Figural Tunjos
Muisca
Colombia
A.D. 900 - 1500
Tumbaga, Weight 26 grams
Height (tallest) 3 3/8 in. Height (shortest) 2 13/16 in.
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Tunjos Pendant
5th-7th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Low Quality Gold Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Low Quality Gold Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Low Quality Gold Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Low Quality Gold Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Low Quality Gold Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Gold Tunjos
(Votive Offering Figurine)
Muisca
Colombia
10th-16th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art Collection |
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Gold Votive Figure
600 d.C. -
6,8 x 2,3 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figure
600 d.C. – 1600 d.C.
Guatavita, Cundinamarca
8 x 4,20 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Coupled Votive Figures
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
6,9 x 2 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figure
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
8,4 x 2,5 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Tumbaga Votive Figures
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
Belén de Chinauta, Fusagasugá
Cundinamarca
9,1 x 5,7 x
6,4 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figure
600 d.C. – 1600 d.C.
8,4 x 4 cm
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figure
Columbian
Gold Museum
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Gold Votive Figure
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figure
Columbian
Gold Museum
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Gold Votive Figures /
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figures /
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figures /
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figures /
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Votive Figures /
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Utility Objects
Unusual objects used
for utilitarian purposes, including to contain certain drugs |
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Gold Drug Container
600 d.C. - 1600 d.C.
Venta del Llano, Paipa, Boyacá
2,4 x 12,3 x
4,1
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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Gold Drug Container
1080 d.C.
Chiquinquirá, Boyacá
2,2 x 10 x 2,4
Columbian
Gold Museum |
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