African Art at the Portuguese Court, c. 1450-1521 Pereira, Mario creator 2010 xiv, 508 p. born digital Thesis (Ph.D. -- Brown University (2010) Lincoln, Evelyn Director Flores, Jorge Reader Zerner, Catherine Reader Brown University. History of Art and Architecture sponsor theses 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. Court IvoryPortugalAfrica RPB 20111003 engEnglish10.7301/Z0513WFPIn CopyrightCollection is open for research.dissertations