Gold Colombian sheen

A symbol of power and beauty, gold was thought by some ancient people to be a gift of the sun itself.

A symbol of power and beauty, gold was thought by some ancient people to be a gift of the sun itself. A new Smithsonian exhibit looks at how the people of what is now Colombia used gold for ornament and ceremony.

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The Spirit of Ancient Colombian Gold, opened on Wednesday at the National Museum of Natural History, where it will remain until April 9. Artifacts on display cover more than 2,500 years and in addition to gold there are ceramics and objects made from stone, shell and wood.

The gold items are selected from the ancient cultures of Tierradentro, San Agustin, Tairona and Calima. Included are earrings, nose rings, chest ornaments, necklaces, personal ornaments, funeral urns and ritual artifacts used by Shamans.

The materials are on loan from Colombia’s Museo del Oro. “From art and religion to commerce and technology, gold has played a pivotal role in the culture and history of Colombia,” said Cristian Samper, director of the museum. Among the highlights of the exhibit: Chief Funerary Mask from the Calima region, gold masks were thought to help continue the powers of a leader in the afterworld.

The Jaguar Mask: Jaguar images represented the power of the priests and chiefs. Pectoral with a Bat-man Shape: Images of the bat produced fear and respect. Pectoral representing a human, bird and frog. It symbolises the Shaman’s magic trip to the invisible world and other dimensions of the universe.