What is pre-Columbian art?
The pre-Columbian cultures refer to a period in which various arts developed from the Maya and Aztec cultures, which at that time dominated the regions of the Mesoamerican zone and the central Andes, namely Peru, and certain areas of Bolivia. The art forms such as sculpture, ceramics, painting, architecture, rock art, textiles, and metalwork (such as pre-Columbian jewelry) were sustainably shaped by the indigenous peoples of the American continent in the time before the European invasion.
The Origins
Their origin can be traced back to the high-quality pre-Columbian goldsmith works even before the discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The country of Colombia is particularly regarded as the birthplace of masterful goldsmithing, which is also known as the "Land of Gold."
For the numerous pre-Columbian high cultures, gold held such important cultural significance that they continued to develop the craft of goldsmithing over the centuries. The most important gold cultures of Colombia include:
- Tairona Culture: Butterfly Wing Style
- Sinu Kultur: Half-moon style as well as animals like frogs, seabirds, and jaguars
- Muisca Culture: female figures
- Quimbaya Culture: standing and sitting figures as well as animals such as frogs, fish, and turtles
- Calima Culture: animal-like and masked figures as well as necklaces and tiaras made of gemstones and gold
- Tumaco Culture: abstract style with geometric objects such as spheres and spirals
The differences in the geography of each region and the time intervals of up to several centuries are reflected in the diversity of these different cultures. Each of them was characterized by a variety of methods for the production and processing of their gold jewelry.
The motifs in the diverse processing varied from animal shapes to half moons to numerous patterns that were particularly intricately incorporated.
Cultural significance of gold
For many pre-Columbian high cultures, gold had a special cultural value due to its color and shine, serving as a symbol of sunlight and eternity. It was considered a representation of the divine origin of being and was meant to bring health, energy, and happiness to the wearer.
The matting of the surface of gold was a very common technique of these high cultures in the processing of jewelry. Thus, the power that emanates from this precious metal should be preserved for the wearers of the jewelry and not reflected.
Museo del Oro in Bogotá
A large part of the discovered jewelry is now in state ownership and is exhibited in the "Museo del Oro" in the Colombian capital, Bogotá. In the famous museum, there are over 30,000 jewelry pieces and gold objects from the pre-Columbian era, some of which are up to 2,500 years old, attracting countless visitors each year.
Under the following link, you will find a variety of pre-Columbian jewelry replicas that you order kannst: Präkolumbianische Stücke
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