This summer the Brooklyn Museum held the exhibition Solid Gold. The museum showcased 250 artifacts and works from the Brooklyn Museum collection and an additional 250 objects on loan. Highlighting the efforts of gold mining and its implementation into hand and machine made objects, cultural emblems and even fashion worn today. With its important significance in cultures around the world, and its ability to remain relevant and popular, this exhibition was worth its weight in gold to see in order to understand why. Here is what I learned and what I loved from each section of the exhibit.
Ancient Gold
Ancient artifacts from the civilizations of Egypt, Greco-Roman, Colombia, Panama, and Peru in the forms of funerary relics and architectural elements were examples of the craftsmanship on a global level. Modern jewelry, fashion and film that took inspriation from these historical time periods were also on view.
Gold Links and Interlacing
The technique of crafting links by soldering small rings together can be linked back to the creation of chain mail, which protected soldiers in battle. The use of links as chainmail lost is popularity with the creation of firearms, but in the 1960’s fashion designers like Azzedine Alaia revived chain mail into disco era styles for singers such as Tina Turner. The chain mail trend is alive today again with designs by fashion houses like The Blonds.
Gold in the Ancient Americas
In the Ancient Americas in what was known as the Aztec community gold was seen as a sacred material. In places such as Panama, and Costa Rica people believed gold mining was a sacred ritual. Wearing gold in these society’s was a sign that someone had high social or political status or signaled spiritual connections. Peru is the earliest known site with evidence of metallurgy ( the art and science of extracting metals from their ores and modifying the metals for use) in the Americas. Throughout the Americas gold was created into jewelry and body ornamentation, with styles inspired by the natural world and the society’s religious beliefs.
The Earliest Gold
In Ancient Egypt and Nubia, gold was a symbol of eternity, and held religious and mythical significance because of its non-tarnishing properties. The Egyptians also described their gods as having gold skin, and used gold statues as physical embodiments of those gods. The earliest documented gold artifacts from the Nile Valley are from the fourth millennium B.C.E. Attracting looters and archaeologists all the same, much of the gold found was melted and repurposed.
Myths of Gold
Due to its rarity, durabilty and value the discovery of gold led to many myths and legends. Such stories inspired expeditions and colonization. The Spanish believed they would find the mythical golden city in the Americas named “El Dorado”. While a port where travelers could exchange goods for gold was written about in Indian and Buddhist text. Many other countries had their own legends surrounding gold and its abilities including Japan, Colombia, Italy and Greece.
Working with Gold
Gold can be worked into molds, sheets, wires and soldered. All of which has allowed artisans and metal smiths to create articles of jewelry and fashion with a small amount of gold. Leading to the creation of durable products but at a lower cost due to the ingenuity of techniques that allow gold to be incorporated within these pieces.
The Real Gold
The unearthing of gold from mountains and riverbeds has taken place around the world. Techniques used like hydraulic mining, deforestation and advanced chemical processes have had severe impacts on the environment. Such chemical processes led to the contamination of water, leading to the killing of fish in Romania, Hungary and Serbia in 2000. Gold mining has also led to landslides, devastating the communities around mines. Although disastrous at times, gold mining continues due to its allure. On a personal note I’ve read the book Sustainable Jewellery: Principles and Processes for Creating an Ethical Brand by Jose Luis Fettolini, which interviews sustainable jewelers who give insight on their ethical resources and processes. Giving us proof that jewelers understand the effects of jewelry on the environment and are taking steps to remedy the consequences left behind during sourcing, mining and creating.
Money and Art
Gold was a staple in 14th and 15th century Italian altarpieces. Artists used the techniques of covering wet layers of gresso with thin sheets of gold, burnished to a smooth finish. Other layers of egg tempura were applied and chipped away to reveal the gold underneath. To embellish garments a glue was brushed on and gold leaf was applied to accentuate details of the garment. During these times gold symbolized divinity, purity and spiritual transcendence. Sound familiar?
Gold in Color Combinations
The color of gold combined with other colors have had meanings since the beginning of time. In East Asia the color gold holds cultural significance and in Japan the use of gold with red on kimonos represents prosperity and harmony. In China gold and red were used in imperial robs to ensure good fortune. During the Victorian era white and gold was a trending color combination. Signifying purity and sophistication often used in bridal dresses. In the late 18th and 19th centuries European Rocco and Neoclassical porcelain included gold with blues and greens, which signified the sun and the heavens, pointing to the high status of the owner. The trend of combining gold with other colors continued until today where it is still used in logos, flags, uniforms and more as a identifier of the team or wearer and their connection to wealth, luxury or cultural meaning.
Symmetry and Pattern
Symmetry in design is known to be the pinnacle of perfection and beauty. Studies confirm that visual balance evoke calmness and satisfaction. Many times in fashion this technique is produced by flipping the design on the other side of the fabric or object to create a symmetrical pattern. Symmetry is also used in architectural designs to create stability, while the use of mirrors can create the allusion of symmetry in spaces.
Eternal Gold
Religious symbols and statues have been embellished with gold and jewels which associates them with the sun and the heavens. Used in places of worship, such as temples, gold is used to inspire introspection and a way to reflect. The concepts of eternity become highlighted in religions that use gold on there gods, like the Buddha when its covered in gold.
Fashioning Gold
Gold has been used in fashion, design and art to embody glamour and luxury by various artists. Technology within these sectors have made it possible for gold or the appearance of gold, a widely used element in fashion, to be incorporated into fashion without a steep price point. Materials such as Lurex, sequins, woven fabrics or patterns of woven fabrics, and gold leaf help create the look of gold in fashion and jewelry.
How has gold been apart of your life? What are the cultural meanings of the metal or the color for you? View the rest of the photos of the exhibition with this link. Share with other gold lovers!- T.S.
Source: The Brooklyn Museum
What do you think?