Item number: G1

Year: 500 BC–AD 600

The results after XRF testing

Material: 14ct Gold (Tumbaga)

Size: 144.0 x 106.8 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 64.6 g

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2023

This is a gold ornament from the Quimbaya culture of South America, specifically Colombia, dating approximately between 500 BC and AD 600.

This ornament combines human and various animal characteristics, depicting a smiling human face with a large, rounded nose. Spiral-shaped ornaments dangle from both ears, and the figure wears an elaborate, oversized headdress. The human torso is replaced with a reptilian form covered in scale-like patterns, while the arms take the shape of bird wings and extend into a crescent-shaped bird tail. These hybrid designs, blending human and animal traits, may reflect the Quimbaya culture’s worldview and religious beliefs, symbolising a connection between humans, animals, and the spiritual realm.

The material of this ornament is a copper-gold alloy known as “Tumbaga,” a term derived from the nomenclature of Spanish conquistadors. Prior to Columbus’s arrival in Central and South America, Tumbaga was widely utilised by ancient civilisations in the region for decorative arts and jewelry-making. Objects crafted from Tumbaga included not only human figures but also representations of birds, fish, reptiles, and a variety of indescribable beasts and hybrid figures that combined human and monstrous traits. Additionally, items such as golden ornaments, plates, and other artefacts were produced using this material.

Many of these gold ornaments were equipped with small circular loops, allowing them to be worn on the nose, ears, or chest. The artefacts were often hollow cast, demonstrating remarkable craftsmanship that rendered mould seams virtually invisible. In some cases, the artisans of these ancient American civilisations created pieces that alternated between gold, silver, and copper layers. These metals were fused with such precision that the objects appeared to be seamless, as though formed from a single unified piece.

The early Quimbaya culture was characterised by its residents engaging in agriculture, hunting, fishing, and gathering wild fruits, as well as extracting gold dust and salt from rivers for trade. They lived in scattered settlements distributed across plains and flat terraced slopes. The Quimbaya are renowned for their expertise in goldsmithing, with their works reflecting their exceptional technical and aesthetic achievements. These creations not only represent the social organisation and worldview of the Quimbaya people but also frequently depict animals in both realistic and abstract forms. Among the most common motifs are snails and butterfly pupae undergoing metamorphosis, possibly symbolising the cycles of nature and society.

In its later period, the Quimbaya culture tended to settle in temperate regions. While continuing activities such as foraging and hunting, they also began cultivating crops like maise, beans, and sweet potatoes on hillside terraces. They constructed threshing floors and irrigation channels to manage avalanches and soil erosion. Additionally, their economy included trade based on the production and exchange of gold, salt, textiles, and pottery.

物件編號: G1

年代: 公元前 500 年–公元 600 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 14ct 金 (圖帕伽)

尺寸: 144.0 x 106.8 x 0.6 mm

重量: 64.6 g

來源: 海瑞德拍賣 2023

這是一件出土於南美洲哥倫比亞的基姆巴亞文化金飾，時代大致落在公元前500至公元600年之間。

這件飾品結合人類和不同動物的特徵，呈現微笑的人臉有著一個碩大的圓鼻子，兩側的耳朵懸掛著螺旋狀的飾品，並且配戴一副極為誇張的頭飾。人的軀幹則以覆蓋鱗片的爬蟲類意象取代，雙手則是呈現鳥翼的姿態，並且拖著一個半月形的鳥尾裝飾。這些結合人類和動物特徵的飾品也許承載著基姆巴亞文化的世界觀和宗教觀，象徵人類、動物和精神世界的關聯。

飾品的材質為一種名為「圖帕伽」的銅金合金，這個名詞源於西班牙征服者的稱呼。在哥倫布來到中南美洲以前，「圖帕伽」被當地古文明廣泛使用於裝飾藝術和珠寶製作等用途。以「圖帕伽」為原料的物品除了人像以外，還有如鳥類、魚類、爬行動物、以及各種不可名狀的野獸及形同半人類半怪物的金色雕像，此外也有各種金飾、金盤等等。不少金飾上有著小圓環用於懸掛，以便將其佩戴在鼻子、耳朵或胸前。這些金屬製品通常是空心鑄造的，並且達到了極高的製作精度，以至於往往看不見鑄模的接縫。這些美洲古文明的工匠有時還會鑄造將金、銀和銅交替排列的物品，這些物品合並得非常精細，幾乎顯得像是一塊整體。

早期的基姆巴亞文化其居民從事農業、狩獵、捕魚和採集野生水果，和從河中掏取砂金和鹽巴用以交易，並且以散居的聚落型態分布於平原或平坦的山坡台地。基姆巴亞文化以他們專業的金匠出名，他們的作品充分凸顯他們的技術和美學程度。這些作品一來映射社會的組織型態和思維外，更有許多臨摹動物的寫實和抽象形象。最常見的物種是蝸牛和變態過程中的蝴蝶蛹，可能反映自然和社會的循環。晚期的基姆巴亞文化傾向居住於溫帶地區，除了採集和狩獵外，也開始利用山坡地栽種玉米、豆類和甘薯等作物，還會建造脫穀場和溝渠以控制雪崩和侵蝕。此外還會依靠黃金、鹽、紡織和陶器加工進行貿易。