Description:

Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Calima, ca. 600 to 800 CE. A large high karat gold (88% gold) ornament representing the Sun - its elegant convex, orb-like form with a beaded border lining the periphery. A pectoral certainly fit for a royal elite of the Calima river valley of southwest ancient Colombia where abundant gold deposits made a goldworking tradition possible for at least 2,000 years! Two perforations for suspension or attachment. Size: 6" in diameter (15.2 cm); 6.375" H (16.2 cm) on included custom stand; weight: 65.4 grams

Interestingly, centuries later when Christopher Columbus was sailing along the coast of Central America, he and his team traded with the indigenous for what they called "mirrors of gold". These were worn around the natives' necks. Although there are no recorded descriptions of these objects, it is possibly that they looked similar to this type, as forms and styles spread throughout the Pre-Columbian world. For more about this exchange, see Fernando Colon, "The Life of the Admiral Christopher Columbus by His Son Ferdinand. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, 1959.

Provenance: ex-private H. J. Westermann collection, Germany, 1960s

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#139418

  • Condition: Expected denting to surface and small tear radiating from each perforation.

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October 11, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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