Disk ornament
Unknown Artist
13th–16th century
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
Classification
Metal-Ornaments
Culture
Colombia
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Purchase, 1891
Accession Number
91.37.8
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gold disk ornament, crafted by an unknown artist in Colombia between the 13th and 16th centuries, exemplifies the masterful pre-Columbian metalworking of the Americas. Measuring just 1 1/2 inches in, its petite scale belies its cultural weight, likely serving as a pendant, earring, or ceremonial adornment. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of through a museum purchase in 1891, it now resides in the Department of Arts of Africa,, and the Americas, the sophistication of indigenous Colombian artisans. Gold held profound symbolic value in pre-Columbian societies, representing the...