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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Pre-Columbian Masterpieces : Tairona Gold Pectoral of a Shaman
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Tairona Gold Pectoral of a Shaman - FJ.6205
Origin: Colombia
Circa: 600
AD
to 1600
AD
Dimensions:
4.5" (11.4cm) high
x 5.25" (13.3cm) wide
Catalogue: V23
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Tairona
Medium: Gold
Additional Information: 414 grams Trudy, withdrawn
Location: United States
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| Description |
When seeing and holding something so
magnificent as this gorgeous pectoral, we can
easily understand why the Spanish explorers
were so overwhelmed by the gold they found in
Colombia. As modern observers and art
aficionados we can also appreciate how the
people who made these wonderful gold objects
felt. For the Columbians, gold meant nothing
until it was turned into a specific form with a
ritualistic meaning. Then, according to their
religious beliefs, it not only acquired value
beyond its intrinsic worth, but assumed
supernatural power. The sheer weight and
beauty of this fabulous pendant is stupendous.
The expertise needed to fashion such intricate
work would daunt even the finest goldsmiths of
today. What we are seeing is probably a shaman
dressed in full regalia wearing a magnificent
headdress crowned by dual eagle heads
extending over the figure's brow. The spirals
radiating from the center portion of the
headdress are like sunbursts or fireworks
exploding. They are so free spinning and
glorious, each seems to be possessed of its own
energy and force. The figure wears long
dangling earrings, with a large square panel
attached to his chin. A large noseplug is also
inserted. He holds a thickly woven band which
curls at the ends, just above his exposed penis.
Some believe this cord had a sexual connotation.
With his knees slightly bent, he appears about to
leap into a dance or into the beyond. The entire
pendant is covered in circular studs (including
ones for the eyes) as ornamentation, which also
has the effect of giving the entire piece a feeling
of movement. The remarkable sense of
pageantry and dance is brilliantly conveyed
through the extraordinary skill of a master
goldsmith and the dazzling gold itself.....trudy
- (FJ.6205)
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