GOLD EXHIBITION AT LONDON'S GOLDSMITHS' HALL

"Gold: Power and Allure" is the most comprehensive and ambitious exhibition ever staged at Goldsmiths' Hall. Until July 28th it powerfully tells the rich and previously untold story of Britain and its relationship with gold, demonstrating the country's unique golden heritage.

This major project showcases more than 400 gold items ranging in date from as early as 2500 BC to the present day. It includes rare and exquisite works of art, combining sophisticated artistry and skill, together with pieces of exceptional historic significance. Others are esoteric, curious and amusing. All the exhibits, displayed over three floors at Goldsmiths' Hall, have been loaned from distinguished institutions and private collections and many have rarely been seen in public before.

This is the first time such an extraordinary group of objects has been brought together. It tells a story of passion and power, fortunes lost and gained, and the special place this metal plays not only in our national, but also our personal histories.

Historian Dr Helen Clifford, the curator of the exhibition, explains: "Gold: Power and Allure presents the opportunity of a lifetime. The challenge has been to draw together the many strands that make a single precious metal so special and central to human society.

"With the focus on Britain it has been possible to assemble a story that goes far back into geological time and forward to the most cutting edge goldworking, where this country excels.

A so-called trial plate from 1649 to test the colour of the
freshly minted gold coins to ensure its correct composition.

"It reveals a story of the continuity of man's fascination with gold, from the Bronze Age to modern City finance, via a breathtaking range of more than four thousand years of work. In essence it is a story of global connections and one where the familiar is transmuted into the iconic, via the power of gold."

The influence and reach of the exhibition extends far beyond the boundaries of the City of London as a "Gold Trail" stretches across the breadth of the United Kingdom.

The "Gold Trail" charts every major gold collection and points of interest in regional museums, institutions and churches, both large and small collections and with varied uses. These include items too precious, fragile or large to be moved to Goldsmiths' Hall. Examples of places and items featured on the "Gold Trail" include the Gold Palm Room at Spencer House, the Royal Cornwall Museum, the Scottish Crown Jewels, St. Cuthbert's Cross, Durham, the Portland Gold Font and many, many more.

The exhibition will be accompanied by an associated book "Gold: Power and Allure" published by Paul Holberton.

To read the complete article, see: Gold Exhibition in London (www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/4?&id=1288)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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