Author
Mostly under the administration of Gau d'Arruda (active since 1470) who intervened in 1485 when expanding the ducal court in Beja.
Author Original
على الأغلب تحت إدارة جاو دي آرودا كان نشطاً منذ الذي تدخل في عام عند توسيع بلاط الدوقية في باجة
Publication Place
-
Braga Cathedral Treasure
Subject
ivory; Relief sculpture.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
العلو: 20 سم؛ القطر: 10 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
s/n
Record ID
object;ISL;pt;Mus01_C;28;ar
Library Location
Braga Cathedral Treasure
Notes
A small jewelry box made of ivory carved on a piece of elephant tusk with a cylindrical shape, closed with a dome-shaped lid. The latter consists of a cylinder on which an Arabic inscription in Kufic script can be read, and a small, hollow cover surmounted by a pear-shaped handle. The lid is attached to the body of the vessel with a smooth bronze strap, which is fastened in the same way as the fixed parts of a knot with a missing tongue. The entire surface of the piece is carved with a delicate relief, executed with chisel and blade. The decorative composition presents a series of arches resting on small columns, with capitals decorated with acanthus leaves and two spiral decorations. On each of the arches, under the same incised mesh, deer and birds appear. In some places, these antelopes and birds of paradise appear distinct from the dense vegetation that covers the entire surface. Under one of the arches, two finely carved figures are picking fruit from a tree in a movement similar to that of grape pickers in the late ancient world. On its side, the small, hollow lid contains a series of octagonal medallions in which animal figures are enclosed. The supplications in Kufic script, inscribed on the lower part of the lid and surrounded by two bands of braided decoration, indicate that the order to complete the piece came from Hajib Abd al-Malik Ibn al-Mansur, a powerful military leader who was the cause of a large number of plunders in the north of the peninsula at the end of the 10th century AD. The refined nature of the depictions on the piece suggests that it was created to celebrate a personal anniversary, such as a wedding.
Sample Text
Claudio Torres “Trinket box from Braga Cathedral” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;pt;Mus01_C;28;ar