Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

The piece "Zattera Muisca" is kept in the museum of the Italy and reproduces an ancient ritual. Muisca is the name associated with a Chibcha culture civilization that formed the Muisca confederation encountered by the Spanish in present-day central Colombia, in 1537. The Muisca comprised two confederations, the Hunza, whose governor was Zaque, and the Bacatá, which as governor had the Zipa. The two divisions were located in the area corresponding to the current Cundinamarca and Boyacá, in the central area of the Colombian eastern cordillera, during the Spanish conquest there were many inhabitants, the precise number is unknown. Legend has it that, prior to the arrival of the conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada who discovered the site, the Muisca people practiced religious rites related to the cult of the Sun there. In particular, the Zipa of Guatavita was covered with resin and dust. 'gold and forwarded to the center of the lake with a raft from which he dived, making ablutions by removing the gold dust off him. Later the faithful threw other ritual offerings into the lake, such as pendants and precious jewels.