Colombia: Did you mean...?

In this gallery, we showcase 40 precious items that illustrate the love of valuable shiny things that can sparkle up our daily lives is far from being a modern phenomenon. Gold has always been valued for its gleam...

Spain’s rapid expansion into South America followed the consolidation of its Caribbean footholds by 1512, marking a decisive shift from exploration to imperial...

A Muisca (Chibcha) seated gold figure on a stool (tunjo). Colombia, 10th-16th century CE. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

A Muisca (Chibcha) double eagle gold pendant. Colombia, 10th-16th century CE. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Megalithic funerary statue at site referred to as El Purutal near San Agustín, Huila Department, Colombia. Created c. 1st to 10th century CE.

Portrait of Admiral Blas de Lezo, oil on canvas painting, c. 1853. Portrayed here is the Spanish naval officer Blas de Lezo (1689-1741), whose illustrious career saw the loss of his left eye, left leg, and the use of his right arm...

This figure depicts a female; she wears an elaborate headdress and necklace and holds what appears to be a small tree branch with her right hand. A material of religious significance, the flat gold figures (or Tunjos), were...

The Pull of the Monroe Magnet, illustration by Udo J. Keppler, 1913. In this cartoon depiction of the Monroe Doctrine, a colossal Uncle Sam, a national personification of the United States, forcibly draws toward himself...

This figure depicts a male; he holds an object with his right hand. A material of religious significance, the flat gold figures (or Tunjos), were votive offerings left in caves or lakes. They were rarely found inside tombs. Pre-Columbian...

Megalithic funerary statue referred to as El Partero at Mesita B near San Agustín, Huila Department, Colombia. Created c. 1st to 10th century CE.