Showcasing Colombia's Native Icons in Beijing

By staff reporter ZHANG JINGDE

Ceramics like this were likely used in both practical and decorative ways.	The delicate crafting of this wood and metal necklace displays the skill of metalworkers in historic Colombia.

The Object/Colombia Exhibition, the biggest ever held in China, went on display at the Beijing Jintai Art Museum in July of 2003. This exhibition structured as a journey across historic Colombia, featuring five uses of objects as icons: furniture, decorations, containers, clothes, and ritual and games relics, all grouped according to their four major geographical areas: the high Andes, the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Orinoco-Amazon basins. Altogether, the pieces number 430.

Colorful dress and ornaments	A pottery figurine used in rituals

Colombia's population includes blacks, whites, mestizos and immigrants from all corners of the globe. In addition to bringing aesthetic appreciation, the exhibition also subtly recreates the individual experiences, ways of thinking, daily beliefs and opinions of the Colombians.