A full color catalog accompanied the show. Copies are still available. 

Explore some select images from our catalog below or link here to full catalog.

The allure of gold adornments is universal and eternal

Gold possesses a power that captures the eye with even the slightest glimmer.  Gold's magic lies in the fact that it mirrors the sun and never oxidizes, so it remains lustrous and beautiful throughout time.

It must have been thrilling to come upon this precious metal where its glimmer called out as a magical element linked to the sun.

Pre-Colombian peoples were as concerned with social status as we are today, and adornments indicated wealth and position. Rulers wore gold crowns and were buried in gold masks. Priests used gold utensils and dressed in clothing laced with gold. The elite classes adorned themselves in gold and silver ornamentation that could be seen at a distance, displaying their status through opulence, asserting their divine authority to make the transformation to the next world.

There are three major gold producing centers in the new world. The first​ is in South America, Peru,​ the earliest site containing evidence of gold use. Splendid 1st millennium ​BC ​hammered gold plaques ​from ​the Chavin ​Horizon ​period (900 BC to 200 BC)​ reveal complex mythological iconography​. The Moche (or Mochica) also in what we now know as Peru, were very competent metalsmiths as well. They were the first to develop the technique of lost wax casting and  tocultivate the use of alloys, which allowed them to master three dimensional forms.

The second established region of gold work extended from what is now Colombia​, Ecuador​ and Venezuela and included Panama and Costa Rica. Here many different cultures developed, each with their own distinct style. They shared similarities in taking forms from nature, casting birds, alligators, frogs, and other animals as well as geometric forms. In Colombia, the earliest gold workers were from Calima, in the western part of the country near the Rio Cauca, and were most likely influenced by the Moche in Peru. The Muisca occupied an area in the central highlands (modern day Bogota) and were relatively isolated, allowing them to develop an independent style of abstract “stick” figures known as tunjos. The Tairona had a fine gold working tradition and mastered an extremely fine wire braiding technique. They are famous for constructing large gold warrior figures with elaborate plumage.

Costa Rican and Panamanian gold art objects were extremely similar in style due to proximity and trade. Because of extensive trade and cultural interaction between different societies in the region these finely detailed zoomorphic objects are often referred to by historians as 'International Style' artifacts. These pieces demonstrate a fusion of various artistic traditions and techniques from different cultures across Central and South America.

The last geographical region to produce a distinctive gold style was Mexico, which took place during the post-Classic Period. A few examples of Toltec Maya gold have been found, as they were offerings discovered in the sacred cenote of Chichen Itza.  Aztec and Mixtec goldsmiths were enormously talented in producing delicate jewel castings. 

Among the many calamities that befell pre-Columbian peoples under colonization, one was the destruction of their incredible art works. When the conquistadors and colonialists gathered up as much gold and silver as they could to melt down and send back to Europe they destroyed centuries of irreplaceable masterworks. No one knows what arts were lost in the 16th century. It will remain one of history's great mysteries and tragedies. 

Pre-Columbian master craftsmen were as skilled at lost wax casting, hammering, repoussé work, depletion gilding and incising as any of the other cultures in Europe at the time, and their artistic visions as unique and ingenious as any created since. Pre-Colombian gold artifacts are scarce -- we are lucky to have a small percentage of these precious artifacts surviving today.