All Gold Is Gold
The Mapungubwe Gold Collection from southern Africa dates from CE 1220 to CE 1290 and attests since time immemorial to one of the most precious resources on the African continent.
Gold is the heart of Africa
Gold in Africa has been prominent in human history and thought for over 6000 years. Considered by some, to be earth’s rarest and most valued metal, it has gained a peculiar and indeed an inimitable place in both the past and the present. Southern Africa's gold is no exception.
Early photograph of Mapungubwe gold (1933) by Pretoria MintOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
An extraordinary archaeological gold collection
This archaeological gold collection comprises funerary items, associated with three elite burials from the summit of Mapungubwe Hill and was excavated in 1932. Over 1000 years ago gold was sourced, locally mined, produced and used as personal symbols of power and prestige.
Mapungubwe Gold
There is much more to gold than its materiality, colour and lustre since it remains what it has always been, a precious substance because it is rare. This is evidenced by the gold from Mapungubwe associated with a World Heritage Site and curated at the University of Pretoria.
The only gold rhino in the world
The gold rhino figurine is made of several pieces of thin gold foil, which was originally nailed onto a wooden carving. The animal's torso was formed by pressing gold foil over a wooden core, held in place with minute gold nails. This is Mapungubwe's most iconic masterpiece.
Embossed and engraved
The innate sensuality of gold lends itself ideally to the sculpting of gold forms, into jewellery and other shapes designed to extract maximum light reflection from its surface. This example of a circular decorative gold foil form is perhaps a finial from another gold sceptre.
Gold was power and prestige
Decorated gold foil fragment
Sceptre Burial, (M5 Nos.10 – A619)
Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 - CE 1290
59.58mm X 49.30mm
Gold bowl (1220/1250) by Mapungubwe ArchiveOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Mapungubwe gold vessel
The gold bowl or vessel was unevenly hammered out from a single sheet of thin gold foil, and then folded and pleated into a hemispherical shape and held in place with tiny gold tacks or nails, and the perforations are clearly visible.
Mapungubwe gold sceptre (1220/1250) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Mapungubwe gold sceptre
Ceremonial and ritual objects also made from thin gold foil were formed into other animal figurines such as a cattle and leopard figurine, or shaped into a vessel and sceptre or mace together with many other decorative and ornamental forms.
Gold cattle figure (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Mapungubwe gold cattle figurine
Original Gold Grave (M1 A620), Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 – CE 1290
Gold foil
119.25mm x 54.17mm
Gold feline figure (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Mapungubwe gold leopard figurine
Original Gold Grave (M1 A620), Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 – CE 1290
Gold foil
147.68mm x 51.29mm
Gold foil animal head partial (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Decorated gold animal head fragment
Original Gold Grave (M1 A620)
Mapungubwe Hill, CE 1250 - CE 1290
56.02mm X 19.5mm
Gold foil curved fragment (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Two gold foil forms
Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 - CE 1290
99.34mm X 35.11mm
Gold foil curved forms (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Curved gold foil form
Mapungubwe Hill
Burial area
CE 1250 - CE 1290
43.23mm X 164 mm
Gold ear forms (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Gold foil formed into animal ears
The fine gold foil is shaped into a point and the outer end is worked into a broad, large and round shape.Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 - CE 1290
21.93mm - 4.75mm
Solid gold decorated tail (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Solid gold animal tail
A single piece of gold with hammered flat end and three nail holes and the other bulbous end is deeply incised to depict a tufted tail.
Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 - CE 1290
33.58mm x 4.87mm
Gold foil conical form (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Gold conical form
A fine sheet of gold foil shaped into a conical form, later conservator's support the form for stability purposes with Japanese tissue.
Mapungubwe Hill
CE 1250 - CE 1290
80.68mm X 23.22mm
Gold foil fragments (1250/1290) by UnattributedOriginal Source: University of Pretoria Museums
Fragmentary gold foil forms
Mapungubwe Hill
Original Gold Grave (M1 – A620)
CE 1250 – CE 1290
Acknowledgements
With thanks and appreciation to Christopher Till, Craig McClenaghan, Brendan Copestake, Sanet du Plessis, Samantha Saevitzon, John Dewar, Sara Dewar, Adam Fleming, Hazel Botha, Adrian Botha, Caroline Nicholson, Alexandros Andreou, SAHRA, SANParks & the Javett-UP Arts Centre.
All information and images are copyright to the University of Pretoria.
Tiley-Nel, S L. 2019. National Treasures (2nd Ed): The Mapungubwe Gold Collection. University of Pretoria: Pretoria.
Tiley-Nel, S L. and Botha, A. 2013. Conservation of the Mapungubwe gold collection. Journal of the Institute of Conservation 36(1): 65-80.
