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Source Description
Unlike other functional objects sometimes wrought out of goldーlike needles or fishhooks -- tweezers were created for both a spiritual and utilitarian purpose. In many ways, these tweezers exhibit symbolism sacred to the Calima people of Southwest Colombia: gold was the chosen material because it glistened like the “sweat of the Gods” and the circle at the center of the object parallels what was known as a symbol of the sun.In order to make this delicate object, metalsmiths would hammer portions of gold into thin sheets and then cut to attain a desired shape. The clean, raised design added on this tweezer was created by lightly hammering the symbols from the reverse with another tool.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
17724
label
Crescent-Shaped Ceremonial Tweezers with a Circular Top
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
17724
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Crescent-Shaped Ceremonial Tweezers with a Circular Top
description
Unlike other functional objects sometimes wrought out of goldーlike needles or fishhooks -- tweezers were created for both a spiritual and utilitarian purpose. In many ways, these tweezers exhibit symbolism sacred to the Calima people of Southwest Colombia: gold was the chosen material because it glistened like the “sweat of the Gods” and the circle at the center of the object parallels what was known as a symbol of the sun.In order to make this delicate object, metalsmiths would hammer portions of gold into thin sheets and then cut to attain a desired shape. The clean, raised design added on this tweezer was created by lightly hammering the symbols from the reverse with another tool.
provenance
Mrs. S. Wellford Randolf [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1979, by gift.
date
700-1521
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Gold, Silver & Jewelry
tweezers
ceremonial objects
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
Source extras
cul
Calima
med
hammered gold alloy
creator_ids
31451
collection_ids
AME
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
cf194a9906da4e6f