A large fragment of polychrome Nasrid stucco

A large fragment of polychrome Nasrid stucco

A large fragment of polychrome Nasrid stucco
Southern Spain, Granada, second half of the 14th century
Large stucco fragment moulded with a geometric lattice to form a kaleidoscopic decoration of multipointed squares and stars. Within these geometric lazos bordered in white are atauriques (arabesques) interwoven in bas-relief, while the central position of this fragment is occupied by decoration composed of two overlapping squares containing a flower with hollowed-out concave petals. Consistent traces of polychromy and lacking in the corners. The geometric design of this frieze is reminiscent of the Caliphal period (cfr. claustra at the Archeological Museum of Cordoba, acc. no. 488).
Decorations with a similar decorative scheme are possibly found in the Palace of the Lions in the Alhambra complex, famous moorish architecture in Granada.
Atauriques in the stuccoes of the Alhambra are found as a stand-alone decoration or as a filler and in different variants. The type observed in this fragment is similar to a decoration now in the V&A Museum in London, Acc. no. A.171-1919.
In spite of its apparent simplicity and poor quality, stucco was used in the Nasrid period with great technical skill, coming to constitute the hallmark of the Alhambra, even in its infinite variety of ornamental designs. In the early Nasrid period, these decorations were carved in situ (naqch hadîda technique), from the time of Muhammad III (1302) the technique became standardised and the adoption of moulds became widespread. As for the finishing, some friezes were simply whitewashed, while the most valuable were finished in polychrome with mineral pigments often in shades of blue, red, black and green, sometimes with metallic additions in gold and silver.
A kind of anthology of these decorations was compiled by Owen Johns in his Grammar of Ornaments, first published in London in 1856. Here, Alhambra stuccoes appear among the typical decorations of Moorish art.
For more details see Puertas Fernández, A. 'The Alhambra' Vol. 1., Saqi Books, 1997.
García Bueno, A., and Medina Flórez V. J., The Nasrid Plasterwork at 'qubba Dar al-Manjara l-kubra' in Granada: Characterisation of materials and techniques, Journal of Cultural Heritage 5, 2004.
53.5 X 91.5 cm (65.5 X 103 cm con cornice)


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