Description
- Abstract:
- This study concentrates on the court practices of circulation and exchange of objects between Portugal and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as between Portugal and other European courts from the 1450s through the 1510s. By focusing on the reception and ceremonial use of objects across cultures, this approach permits the incorporation of African luxury objects into the history of art of Renaissance Europe in a coherent and meaningful manner. The Portuguese court used luxury objects, both natural materials and skillfully crafted artifacts, from Africa to represent their claims to imperial power in that region to other European courts and to convey notions of possession by collecting and bestowing these items on others. The shifting perceptions and interpretations of these objects depended on the ceremonies and diplomatic endeavors that accompanied their presentation in Africa and in Europe. Through the associations of the precious material and carved imagery with hunting, military prowess, and exalted notions of rule, these ivory objects from Senegambia, Sierra Leone and the Kongo were seen by the Portuguese as participating in the chivalric culture of the courts of Renaissance Europe. The role of African art in the formation of the Portuguese court's identity and imperial ideology necessarily championed the beauty of the objects and the artistic skill of African artists.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D. -- Brown University (2010)
Access Conditions
- Rights
- In Copyright
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
Pereira, Mario,
"African Art at the Portuguese Court, c. 1450-1521"
(2010).
History of Art and Architecture Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0513WFP
Relations
Collection:
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History of Art and Architecture Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the History of Art and Architecture department....