The National Museum of Colombia in Bogota

Francisco de Paula Santander Simon Bolivar, the Liberator

Meet two of Colombia’s Greatest Heroes

The museum contains extensive displays of mummification procedures, burial tomb contents, funeral implements and traditional coffins

A burial tomb with its contents

Coffin carved from a log

Funeral Urns

But wait just a minute …

If you feel like you’re in Prison – you’re right!

The building, known as “El Panoptico”, was the city prison until 1946.

In 1948 it became a museum

Exhibit passage ways were once “cell blocks”. Individual display alcoves were prison cells. The prison contained upwards of 200 cells at one point.

This was a cell block. The alcoves were prison cells

Some parts of this former prison are even “homier” than others – I’ll bet you’re starting to feel real cozy now, aren’t you?

One of the museum’s first exhibits was this meteorite which fell in the region of Boyaca in 1810.

A museum guide relates the event to a group of visitors

For non-Spanish speaking visitors,

the museum offers exhibit information in English on cards

posted at the entrance to many

exhibit areas

This is one of three examples of a “Custodia” or “Monstrance” on display in Bogota.

The other two are permanently housed in a vault in the Republic Bank Museum of Art. (photographs of the others are not permitted) The largest of the three, known as “La Lechuga” consists of 4902.06 grams of pure gold encrusted with 1485 emeralds, a sapphire, 13 rubies, 28 diamonds, 168 amethysts, a topaz and 62 pearls.

Precious and semi-precious stones shown in this example include emeralds (green), diamonds, pearls (inner circle), amethysts (yellow), sapphires (purple), and topaz (blue).

Woman photographing a

“Custodia” or “Monstrance” on

display in the National Museum

in Bogota.

The “Custodia” in its display case at the National Museum

Close-up detail of “Custodia” stem The purple gem stones are Sapphires

The green gem stones are Emeralds

Pearls ring the stem in four places The yellow gem stones are Amethysts

The blue-white gem stones are Diamonds

The “Custodia” is cast from solid Gold

Close-up detail of “Custodia” base The purple gem stones are Sapphires

There is a unique collection of African Masks and Drums (Bantu)

Muyombo Mask

A Bantu Ceremonial

Drum

Bantu Mask

Nsembu Mask (Bantu) Used in divination rites

“Negro Worker in Antioquia” (1870) Vicente Restrepo

A set of Dueling Pistols

A 19th Century French Renaisance Clock The woman

depicted is Maria de Medicis, born in Florence, Italy in 1573

A Gold decorated sword handle with coat-of-arms and scabbard with a Ruby in the hand guard

Crafted wooden box belonging to Gen. Julian Trujillo (1877)

Gen. Julian Trujillo

Porcelain Pitcher circa 1832

Porcelain Bowl circa 1832

A Strong Box Circa 1600

Paintings, Sculptures and

Guns … Lots of Guns …

Little Guns …

… BIG Guns …

… Old Guns …

… “machine” guns …

… Rifles …

A variety of antique miniature portaits are on display

Coco (1932) Fernando Botero

“Maternity” by Miguel Sopo Duque (1944)

Bust of Epifanio Garay Caicedo (1922) by Silvano Andres Cuellar Jimenez

Ceramic mug caricatures of political figures

By 5pm from Tuesdays through Sundays, visitors must “Prison Break” for home

Experience it for yourself, take the tour

Photos and presentation by: Prof. Larry M. Lynch proflmlynch@gmail.com

The National Museum of Colombia in Bogota