Gold, silver, and bronze: Objects in SLAM’s collection that deserve the podium

The Summer Olympic Games aren’t the only place where gold, silver, and bronze shine. Much like the coveted medals awarded to the world’s top athletes, SLAM has its own collection of these precious metals. Continue reading to learn more about a selection of these collection objects worthy of their own spot on the podium.

Frog Pendant

This frog pendant features a triangular head, long rounded body, and distinctive, thin, hind legs that project from its sides. The hind feet are depicted as large rectangles, while the front feet double as suspension hooks. Its bulbous eyes are ringed at the base, and a single raised line marks the mouth, from which an undulating streamer with four scrolls emerges.  

Goldworking in the Andes dates back to 2000 BC, gradually spreading northward. By AD 100, metallurgists in what is now Colombia crafted intricate metal objects using techniques like repoussé and lost-wax casting. High copper content gave some pieces a reddish hue, while depletion gilding brightened others. These methods also influenced artists in Costa Rica and Panama. 

The pendant is currently on view in Morton D. May and Louis D. Beaumont Foundation Gallery 112. 

Llama Figure

This tiny, standing, hollow llama was forged from sheet gold in separate parts and then soldered together. It is frontally symmetrical, with a tall, straight neck and upright, erect ears. The llama features large oval eyes, circular nostrils, and a slit for the mouth, while the short tail curves downward. The four legs taper to the bottom, with joints defined on the front side of the front legs and the back side of the back legs. The thin, flat feet each have two toes, except for the right front foot, which is missing the left toe.  

Llamas were the most important domestic animal to the Inca people, providing both food and clothing. They were often sacrificed in large numbers to the gods. Gold was also important to Inca civilization and considered sacred. Gold had no material value, and the craft of working gold was a religious ritual. Miniature golden llamas are thought to have been deposited as offerings to the mountain deities.  

The figurine is currently on view in Morton D. May and Louis D. Beaumont Foundation Gallery 111. 

Sword hilt with Design of Lions Head, Arabesque Scrollwork, and Arabic Inscription

This sword hilt includes an elegant Arabic inscription that encircles its base. The inscription has been translated by the scholar Will Kwiatkowski as “The glorified lord, the greatest Khaqan, prince of the horizons, Shams al-Dawla wa’l-Din, aid of Islam and Muslims, greatest Ghazi Beg Aydughmish.” These words are inlaid with niello, a black metallic mixture used on engraved metal to provide a visual contrast with the polished gold or silver. 

The work is currently on view in Gallery 120.

Reliquary Arm

Some reliquaries contained actual relics—the material remains of a saint, no matter how tiny—while others held a strip of linen (called a brandea) that had touched a relic and was believed to have gained the same power. By the 12th century, receptacles were sometimes given the form of the relic they contained. The conical chamber cut into the core of this arm reliquary once contained a bone fragment of a saint’s arm. The fingers form a blessing gesture. 

The work is on view in Gallery 237 as part of a new installation called Global Connections, which explores the interconnectivity of artistic production between AD 500 and 1500, commonly called the Middle Ages in Europe. 

Crown

This wood crown, adorned with gold leaf, features an openwork design with heraldic lions, crosses, and fleurs-de-lis around its circumference. At its summit, a palm tree with four descending fronds is carved. These crowns, inspired by European designs and incorporating heraldic elements, are powerful symbols of leadership in the Akan region of Ghana. They reflect the long history of interaction between West Africa and Europe. Previously known as the Gold Coast, Ghana was once dominated by states whose power derived in large part from the gold trade. The availability of gold made it a natural component of royal regalia. To this day, the public presentation of chiefs in this region is accompanied by a dazzling profusion of gold jewelry, ornaments, and other symbols of office.

The crown is currently on view in Morton D. May and Louis D. Beaumont Foundation Gallery 117.

Processional Cross

The profusion of decoration on this cross testifies as much to the skills of Spanish silversmiths as it does to the importance of the cross in Christian ritual. The many curved, angled, and radiating forms, as well as the narrative illustrations on front and back, were made by hammering the silver from the inside to create three-dimensional elements. This technique, called repoussé, allows for a lighter cross. Had the forms been cast in solid silver, the cross would not be as easy to carry in processions both within the church and to gravesites. 

The work is currently on view in Shoenberg Gallery 236.

Compote

This circular bowl features a wave border around the rim and two cast-and-gilded bird finials surmounting plinths with pendant balls. The stem depicts a female figure in classical drapery with raised arms, standing on a hemisphere with a stippled surface above a stepped domed foot adorned with a wave ornament band around the rim. Inside the bowl, remnants of gilding can still be seen. This piece is an adaptation of a centerpiece created by the Gorham Manufacturing Company in 1866 to commemorate the completion of the Atlantic cable. That piece was presented to Cyrus W. Field, the principal sponsor, by the wealthy philanthropist George Peabody. 

The work is currently on view in Gallery 121.

Disc

The silver disc depicts boats and swimmers gathering spondylus shells, a precious commodity. This disc hails from the Chimu Civilization. The Chimu thrived from the 12th to 15th centuries and were the largest and most important political system in Peru before the Inca. In many ancient cultures of the Andes and northern South America, gold and silver were symbolically linked to the sun and the moon. 

The work is currently on view in Morton D. May and Louis D. Beaumont Foundation Gallery 111.

A Young Mother

Although there is a convincing sense of the female body in this sculpture, the abundant fabric serves to soften the form emotionally. The mother’s facial features are simplified, but her tender gaze upon her child conveys the intimacy of their relationship. Bessie Potter Vonnoh was well-known for her small bronze sculptures of everyday subjects.  

The sculpture is on view in Anheuser-Busch Foundation Gallery 335.

Galloping Horse

Edgar Degas produced about 15 sculptures of horses; he aimed to capture the complexity of horses in motion. A regular visitor to the racetrack, he focused on thoroughbreds rather than workhorses. This sculpture shows a running horse with its head intently forward, tail raised, and front legs elevated; Degas succeeds in rendering the energy and tense musculature of the animal. Degas may have been influenced by Eadweard Muybridge’s sequential photographic studies of running horses, published in 1879. 

The work is on view in Wells Fargo Advisers Gallery 218.

Helmet

The size of this ram’s head helmet indicates that it was meant to be worn for ceremonial purposes rather than in battle. It was made by hammering a single sheet of bronze, which makes it extremely light and unsuitable as actual armor. Additional decoration was added using a series of common metalworking techniques such as repoussé, punching, tracing, and engraving. The ram’s head on top, whose horns, ears, and eyes have been restored, is mirrored by the attached ram’s head cheek pieces. The selection of the ram to adorn a military-style helmet is fitting; the animals have a double-layered skull which helps protect them from injury. Elaborate helmets such as this are quite rare. 

The work is on view in Andrew C. and Barbara B. Taylor Gallery 259.