Museo del Oro Quimbaya

Location:
Avenida Bolívar #40 Norte - 80
Armenia, Colombia

Museum Types:
Archaeology

By Brenda Yun

The most impressive permanent gold collection, the Zona Cafetera, is found at the northern edge of Armenia on the way to Salento and Pereira. This is the primary reason travelers pass through this city. The museum is housed in a fantastic brick structure surrounded by green courtyards and complete with a kid's library and lecture hall, cafeteria, temporary exhibition hall and two rooms holding Quimbaya gold and pottery.

The first room begins the history of the Quimbaya, the indigenous people who occupied the mid-Cauca region (the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío) long before the Spanish conquered this area in the early 16th century. The gold on display is a fascinating collection of body ornaments, musical instruments, tools, and objects used to check coca leaves. The pottery are mostly human figures and pumpkin-shaped urns and pots. Animal, female, and pumpkin shapes dominate the golden and clay objects because they represent life, reproduction, and fertility — three important Quimbaya values. The pinkish glow to the gold comes from a mixture of gold and copper alloy — gold symbolizing males and copper representing females. The second room details the importance of ceremony and the conservation of tradition even after the Spanish conquest.

To date, there have been two significant discoveries of Quimbaya gold. The first, called the “Quimbaya Treasure” was a collection of over 200 golden objects and numerous pottery works. The entire collection was regretably given to Spain as a gift and is now on display in the Museum of America in Madrid. A second discovery was uncovered in the Antioquia region and is on display in a traveling exhibition through the Bando de la República. Check its website to find its current locale.

Both rooms have separate English translation guides that you can carry with you.

Admission is free

Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed on Mondays and public holidays

Getting There
take any bus to Circasia and get off at the rotary with the black steam train in the center

Price Description: Free

Relative price: Free

Contact Information:
Phone: +57 6 7498433
E-mail: museoquimbaya(at)remove-this.banrep.org
URL: www.banrep.org/museo