The Hunterian

Scottish Gold
14 March – 15 June 2014
Hunterian Art Gallery
Admission £5.00/£3.00

A spectacular new exhibition at the Hunterian Art Gallery is set to shine when it opens in March. Scottish Gold brings together a glittering array of the finest gold specimens and objects from The Hunterian collection and other institutions across the UK, including the British Museum and National Museums Scotland.

The exhibition explores the use of gold in Scotland from prehistoric times to the present, offering an informative look at the history and cultural significance of the often valuable and highly sought-after precious metal.

Focussing on the occurrence of gold in Scotland and Scottish gold mining, the show also covers the natural history of gold, the first use of gold coinage in Scotland and the infamous Darien disaster of the late 1600s.

Amongst the many treasures on display will be the ‘cloth of gold’ from the tomb of Robert the Bruce; a multitude of Scottish gold coins including a bonnet piece of James V; Bronze and Iron Age gold torcs including the hoard from Law Farm, Morayshire; a gold ampulla used at the Scottish Coronation of Charles I; the King’s Gold Cup from the Leith races of 1751 and ten of the largest gold nuggets found in Scottish rivers.

Contemporary items include an 18 carat solid gold quaich made by Scottish goldsmith Graham Stewart and a Millennium gold medal produced by Malcolm Appleby for the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Scottish Gold offers a unique opportunity to learn about the precious metal as part of the natural history of Scotland and our close relationship with it over millennia.

The exhibition runs from 14 March until 15 June 2014 and admission is £5.00 (£3.00 concession).

Hunterian Art Gallery
82 Hillhead Street
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ

Open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm and Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm
Closed Monday

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First published: 12 February 2014