Giovanni di Paolo (Italian, 1403–1482), Branchini Madonna, 1427, tempera and gold leaf on panel, The Norton Simon Foundation
As the Norton Simon Museum celebrates its 50th anniversary, a stunning exhibition opens a window into one of the world’s finest private art collections by following gold across millennia and continents.
“Gold: Enduring Power, Sacred Craft” presents South and Southeast Asian masterpieces alongside European works in the special exhibitions galleries. The exhibition features approximately 60 objects spanning roughly 1,000 BCE to the 20th century from countries across four continents.
Co-curators Maggie Bell, Associate Curator, and Lakshika Senarath Gamage, Assistant Curator, systematically reviewed objects with gold as a medium before narrowing the selection. The exhibition organizes into three thematic galleries: power, devotion and adornment.
Gold’s symbolic weight varies dramatically across cultures. “In the Christian tradition, gold is incorporated into images of religious figures as a way to honor them,” Bell said. “But poverty is an ideal in Christianity, so integrating gold undermines that virtue.”
Gamage noted the Buddhist perspective: “In Buddhism, there is the tradition of genuine sacrifice that comes from giving gold as a gift.”
The museum’s Head of Conservation and Installations, John Griswold, developed technical materials demonstrating gold manipulation techniques, including gold leaf on painted wood panel, gold threads, gold paint and gilded cast metal.
“We want to explore gold as a medium but also as an idea,” Bell said. “Gold as a material endures for millennia, hence the title.”
The exhibition runs through February 16. The museum houses more than 12,000 objects with approximately 1,000 works on view at any time.
“Gold: Enduring Power, Sacred Craft” will run on Friday, December 12 at 1:00 p.m. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 449-6840 or visit https://www.nortonsimon.org/calendar/2025/fall-2025/Gold-Enduring-Power-Sacred-Craft-12-12-2025-100PM#2025-12-12. Ticket prices: $20 adults, $15 seniors, free for students 18 and under.
