The National Museum in Bogota, Colombia houses a fascinating collection of antique and modern exhibits which simply shouldn't be missed by educators or serious travelers.

1. The National Museum of
Colombia in Bogota

2. Meet two of Colombia’s Greatest Heroes
Francisco de Paula Santander
Simon Bolivar, the Liberator

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

4. A burial tomb
with its contents

5. Coffin carved from a log

6. Funeral Urns

8. But wait just
a minute …

9. 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

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

11. This was a cell block.
The alcoves were prison cells

13. 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?

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

15. A museum guide relates
the event to a group of
visitors

16. For non-Spanish
speaking visitors,
the museum offers
exhibit information
in English on cards
posted at the
entrance to many
exhibit areas

17. 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).

18. Woman
photographing a
“Custodia” or
“Monstrance” on
display in the
National Museum
in Bogota.

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

20. 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

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

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

23. Muyombo Mask

24. A Bantu
Ceremonial
Drum

25. Bantu Mask

28. Nsembu Mask (Bantu)
Used in divination rites

29. “Negro Worker in Antioquia” (1870)
Vicente Restrepo

30. A set of Dueling Pistols

31. The woman
depicted is
Maria de
Medicis,
born in Florence,
Italy in 1573
A 19th Century French
Renaisance Clock

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

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

34. Gen. Julian Trujillo

35. Porcelain Pitcher
circa 1832

37. Porcelain Bowl circa 1832

38. A Strong Box
Circa 1600

39. Paintings,
Sculptures and
Guns …
Lots of Guns …

40. Little Guns …

41. … BIG Guns …

42. … Old Guns …

43. … “machine” guns …

44. … Rifles …

45. A variety of antique miniature portaits are on display

48. Coco (1932)
Fernando Botero

50. “Maternity” by Miguel
Sopo Duque (1944)

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

52. Ceramic mug caricatures
of political figures

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

54. The National Museum of
Colombia in Bogota
Experience it for yourself,
take the tour
Photos and presentation by:
Prof. Larry M. Lynch
proflmlynch@gmail.com