Gallery

Title Page


2. An Ancient Heritage

quimbaya helmet

calima bowl and spoon

fish hooks, spatula, chisels, needles

tolima pectoral

pectoral figure with headdress

nariño panpipes

sinú staff head

3. Native Ground

map of gold working areas

coastal marshland

plan of an excavated tairona house

upland trails

coastal plains

andes mountains

tolima landscape

a map of modern-day colombia

colombia, located on a map of south america

andes mountains

4. A Prehispanic Industry

a map of prehispanic mining in colombia

traditional gold mining

melting and hammering gold alloys and objects

how the guianians are accustomed to cast their golden images

diagram of lost wax casting of a hollow flask

muisca shell

sinú ear ornaments

5. The Uses of Gold

gold regalia

calima nose ornament

sinú nose or ear ornament

tolima tweezers

tairona nose ornament

nariño earrings

tairona lip plug

sinú breastplate

6. The Human Image

darien pectorals, stylized human figures

bowl with a modeled pedestal

pendant, masked figure, cauca valley

muisca pectoral, human figure

mask, cauca valley, tierradentro region

quimbaya lime flask

quimbaya lime flask with female figures in relief

sinú pendant, male figure with headdress

calima pectoral with human face

7. Animal Forms

tairona pendant

sinú ear ornaments with birds

quimbaya pectoral with two birds

sinú jaguar

quimbaya necklace with frogs

quimbaya lizard

muisca dragon

tairona pendant, double-headed animal

8. The Gilded Man

the golden man

muisca tunjo on a lime dipper or pin

muisca tunjo (votive offering) depicting the el dorado ceremony

muisca tunjo, warrior

muisca tunjo, man with shield

9. The Sacred Lake - Guatavita

first published illustration

sepúlveda's cut

lake guatavita in summer foliage

lake guatavita in bloom

lake guatavita with the rainbow

10. Coming of the Europeans

the codex köler

gonzalo jiménez de quesada

woodcut illustration of a spanish expedition

prehispanic trading of gold: the principal routes

people living on the coast traded salt

a mountain trail

11. Burial of the Dead

painted burial urn

san agustín

section of a shaft-tomb

lid of a burial urn

calima funerary urn with cutaway section

lid of a burial urn

calima funerary mask

12. The Gold of El Dorado

tolima pectoral

calima diadem

quimbaya lime flask with seated figure

tairona figure pendant

quimbaya pectoral, human figure with dangling ornaments