Unknown
(Spanish, Madrid, 17th century)
Ewer and Basin
ca. 1600
silver, gilt, jasper, marble
9.5 x 5.38 x 10.75 in, ewer
24.13 x 13.65 x 27.31 cm
2 x 18 in diameter, basin
5.08 x 45.72 cm
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
63.36.1-2
Not on view
Though constructed over two hundred years after the Christianization of Spain, this silver ewer and basin are engraved with a gilt strapwork suggestive of the Arabic decorative motifs of Muslim-occupied Spain. Highly polished marble and jasper plaques adorn both pieces, adding to the “Oriental” quality and recalling Spain’s Moorish past. Although produced during a period of economic decline in the kingdom of Castile, the ewer and basin possess a splendor achieved by the combination of the rich quality of materials and elegant decoration.
JS