Item number: G4

Year: 200 BC-AD 200

The results after XRF testing

Material: 16ct Gold (Tumbaga)

Size: 92.4 x 88.6 x 1.9 mm

Weight: 18.6 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2023

This is a Tumbaga gold artefact excavated from the Cauca Valley Department, a Pacific coastal region in western Colombia, South America. It was crafted by the Calima cultural sphere during the pre-Columbian period. Tumbaga refers to a copper-gold alloy widely used in metallurgical craftsmanship across Central and South America.

This circular gold ornament was crafted from an extremely thin sheet of hammered gold foil, resulting in a perfectly symmetrical round shape. At its centre is a raised spherical design, surrounded by two concentric rows of beaded decoration along the edges. Between these rows, the ornament features nine radiating lines and nine smaller spherical elements, evoking the imagery of the sun. At the top of the piece is a circular loop made of rolled gold foil, likely intended for suspension or attachment to a cord for wearing. Upon closer inspection, geometric patterns resembling leaf veins can also be observed as part of the intricate design.

The Calima cultural sphere is a term used to describe the pre-Columbian archaeological sites in the Cauca Valley region, dating from the 16th century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Based on stratigraphic chronology and regional variations, archaeologists have further divided this cultural sphere into four distinct cultural phases: Ilama, Yotoco, Sonso, and Malagana. According to information provided by the auction house, the gold ornament is dated to approximately the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, making it more likely to belong to the Yotoco, Sonso, or Malagana phases. The Calima cultural sphere is known for producing large gold foil ornaments, as well as unique designs with religious and mythological significance, such as anthropomorphic depictions of crabs or crocodiles.

After the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas, newly arrived settlers often discovered pre-Columbian burial sites adorned with elaborate gold ornaments while clearing land for sugarcane plantations. This was particularly common during the early 20th century when many farmers sold the unearthed gold artefacts to the Central Bank of Colombia. Initially, the bank prioritised the monetary value of the gold over the cultural significance of the artefacts, leading to many precious items being melted down into gold ingots.

It was not until around AD 1939, with increasing attention from domestic and international archaeological organisations and the discovery of numerous highly artistic gold ornaments, that the Central Bank shifted its approach. The practise of melting down artefacts ceased, and instead, efforts were made to preserve them in the newly established Gold Museum in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The Calima cultural sphere became one of the first pre-Columbian civilisations in Central and South America to be systematically studied by scholars.

物件編號: G4

年代: 公元前 200-公元 200 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 16ct 金 (圖帕伽)

尺寸: 92.4 x 88.6 x 1.9 mm

重量: 18.6 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2023

這是出土於南美洲國家哥倫比亞的西部，濱臨太平洋的考卡山谷省，前哥倫布時期「考卡文化圈」製造的圖帕伽金飾。圖帕伽金是一種在中南美洲廣泛使用的銅金合金工藝。

這個圓形金飾以極為扁薄的金箔敲打而成，呈現一個極為工整的圓形。正中央設計為凸起的圓球狀，圓球和金飾整體的邊緣以兩道珠點作為裝飾外，中間還有九道光芒和九枚較小的圓球作為映襯，整體造型設計會讓人聯想到太陽。而在金飾頂端是以金箔捲曲而成的圓環應該是供人繫繩穿戴，仔細觀察尚能發現酷似葉脈的幾何線條紋飾。

考卡文化圈是對於考卡山谷省前哥倫布時期遺址的泛稱，存在時間為公元前16世紀至公元3世紀之間。考古學家根據地層年代和地區的差異，將考卡文化圈再細分出：伊拉瑪、約托克、桑索和馬拉加納四個文化層。根據拍賣行提供的資料，金飾的年代大致落在公元前2世紀至公元2世紀，比較有可能是約托克、桑索和馬拉加納這三個文化層的產物。考卡文化圈出土許多大尺寸的金箔飾品，並且還有帶有宗教和神話意義的人形螃蟹或人形鱷魚等奇特的造型設計。

西班牙人來到美洲之後，新來的白人墾殖者經常能在開闢甘蔗田的過程中，發現以華麗金飾陪葬的前哥倫布時代墓地。尤其在公元20世紀初期，許多農民會順手將挖掘到的黃金古物轉賣予哥倫比亞中央銀行。比起這些黃金飾品的文化價值，起初哥倫比亞中央銀行更加重視這些文物的黃金價格，故許多珍貴的文物被熔鑄為中央銀行的金錠。一直要到公元1939年左右，隨著國內和國際不同考古單位的重視，以及多項極具藝術性的金飾陸續出土，中央銀行一改將古物鎔鑄為金錠的習慣，將古物保存於首都波哥大新建的黃金博物館。而考卡文化圈也成為中美洲地區，學界最早進行系統性研究的知名前哥倫布文明。