By Kang Gahui and Hahm Hee-eun
Photo and Video = National Museum of Korea
Seoul | Aug. 2, 2018

The mythical city of gold, El Dorado, has also been called El Hombre Dorado, meaning “The Golden Man.”

This golden delusion, that Columbus used to gain expeditionary funds from the king of Spain, resulted in the invasion of a new continent and of the Inca Empire. For hundreds of years, greedy opportunists have sought gold in this lost city, but the question of its existence remains unanswered.

The National Museum of Korea opened the special exhibition about El Dorado and indigenous artifacts from Colombia in its Special Exhibition Gallery 1 and 2 on July 30.

The special exhibition, titled “El Dorado, the Spirits, Gold and the Shaman,” presents 322 golden treasures and relics from the Gold Museum of Colombia. The exhibition is divided into four parts: Revival of El Dorado, Assimilation of Nature, Transformation to Shaman and Encounter with God.

In part one, Revival of El Dorado, visitors are guided to the mysterious land of El Dorado by a three-sided video using a media facade. Part two, Assimilation of Nature, shows the life of Colombian indigenous people who recognize themselves as part of nature through animal decorations and household goods, such as gold birds, jaguars and lizards.

Part three, Transformation to Shaman, displays various golden ornaments that were used in religious ceremonies to introduce the role of shaman. Lastly, part four, Encounter with God, shows golden ornaments and tattoo tools of the shamans who were the intermediaries between humans and the gods. Golden dolls that were dedicated to the gods and funerary goods are also introduced in this section.

Through the exhibition, Colombian natives tell us that gold was not a tool for filling human greed, but a tool for the soul to use to devote itself to God. The exhibition is open from Aug. 4 to Oct. 28.

The photo shows a zoomorphic pendant that is displayed at the special exhibition 'El Dorado, The Spirits, Gold and The Shaman' at the National Museum of Korea from Aug. 4 to Oct. 28.