Exhibiting Historical Art: Out of the Vault: Stories of People and ThingsMain MenuWorld MapClick pins to learn more about the object that originated thereTimelinePre-Columbian Gold Headband800 A.D. - 1500 A.D.Gold Eagle PendantsSepik River Headrest20th centuryStatue of Saint Barbara17th century France, polychromed wood, artist unknownCabinet door from the Imperial Palace of Beijing with Imperial DragonChen Youzhang, 1755Bronze LampHead of John the BaptistLauren Linquest, '19Ida Rubenstein, 1909 Sculpture by Jo DavidsonCassone ChestWater-Carrier Vase with Bamboo Pattern and BambooLenore Vanderkooi, 1996Lotus Flowers in a Wood VaseRevolutions Per Minute: The Art RecordOpening page
Pre-Columbian Gold Significance
12016-04-14T14:20:50-07:00Sarah Robinsondfb2f746938b5c0a5b771e15293b8c60ba96c31c85324The Social Context of Panamanian Metallurgyplain2016-04-16T13:24:56-07:00Sarah Robinsondfb2f746938b5c0a5b771e15293b8c60ba96c31cMetal Objects first appeared on the Isthmus of Panama during the first five hundred years of the Christian era. All lines of evidence point to Columbian sources of inspiration, and the Gulf of Uraba as the initial contact point. Once introduced, metal objects became primary symbols of authority; important people ornamented their bodies with gold. It was used to bribe allies and to pay ransoms for captured family members. Gold was hidden prom rivals, and in times of danger, it was stored in large baskets. It also accompanied important people at times of death. In burial, the dead wore masks of gold, and their bodies were often covered with gold figurines.