The Arts Society Falmouth

26
March
2021

'Gold of the Gods;' Treasures of South America and the search for El Dorado'

Chloe Sayer

Time: Special Interest Morning: 10.00 a.m. - 13.00 a.m.

Synopsis:

Gold in America South had a spiritual importance. Its brilliance evoked the Sun - the golden disk that nourished the Earth.

In Peru and Colombia, goldsmiths made some of the most spectacular treasures of the ancient world. Cast and hammered, gold was transformed into sacred offerings for tombs and temples. Europeans, by contrast, saw gold as a commodity - the ultimate symbol of wealth.

Brief Synopsis of the Morning

09.50 Zoom Webinar Opens

10.00 Session 1: South America and the Search for El Dorado

The Spanish Conquest of the Americas was driven by the search for gold and glory. Many of the golden treasures that the Spaniards found were melted down for bullion. Those that survive are works of sacred art — the technically sophisticated creations of important cultures.

11.00 Coffee Break

11.30 Session 2: Mexico: Land of Gold

The Mixtecs were one of the major civilisations of pre-Hispanic Mexico. Greatly admired by their contemporaries, they were the foremost goldsmiths of North and Central America. Carvers of bone and stone, they also painted pictorial manuscripts of great beauty. These sacred screen-fold books offer invaluable information about religious ceremonies and court life.

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12.30 Q & A

13.00 Close

Venue: Live Zoom Online Event

Organised by: The Arts Society Falmouth

Cost: £8