The exhibition The Jewel. Life and Eternity in Tartessos, which has attracted over 16,000 visitors in its first year—five times the museum's usual attendance—will conclude on Sunday, May 31. This display, which allowed visitors to explore Huelva's Tartessian past, has been a significant milestone for the museum.
The reason for this early closure is the preparation of a new hall dedicated to the memory of Huelva-born photographer María Clauss, who tragically passed away on January 18 in the Adamuz railway accident. The territorial delegate for Tourism, Culture, and Sport in Huelva, Teresa Herrera, stated that while "it will hurt to take down this exhibition," the tribute to Clauss is "more than deserved."
“"Without her professionalism, her passion, her tenacity, her smile, and above all, her perfectionism bordering on madness—that madness only geniuses possess—this great project would not have been possible. Thank you, María, for leaving this beautiful mark on the Museum and on all of us who had the pleasure of working side by side with you."
María Clauss was described as the "alma mater" who spearheaded the Tartessos exhibition, responding to a historical demand from both the Huelva community and the scientific community. The Huelva Museum has publicly acknowledged her work through its social media, highlighting her "professionalism, passion, and tenacity" as key elements in the project's realization.
Among the most notable pieces in The Jewel is the Tartessian chariot, whose remains were found in 1972 in the Necropolis and restored by the Arqueo Huelva Cultural Association with funding from Atlantic Copper. This chariot, with its bronze feline heads and other metallic fragments, has been the focal point of the exhibition.
After its closure, the pieces from The Jewel will be integrated into the Huelva Museum's collection, while others will be loaned to other museum complexes to spread the Tartessian legacy of the province across different regions.
