Beads from a Necklace

Elements from a Necklace

The Nasrid Spanish school of jewelry, like that of Mamluk Syria, represents the continuation in late medieval times of the tradition of fine filigree and granulation work most associated with Fatimid (tenth to eleventh century) Egypt and Syria. Whether or not there were cross-fertilizations in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries between Spain and the eastern Mediterranean, the great likelyhood is that the Nasrid school essentially developed out of earlier (tenth to twelfth century) Spanish work, the latter examplified by a group now in the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore.

Cloisonné enameling is characteristic of Nasrid Spanish jewelry and also appears in earlier Spanish and Fatimid work. The cartouches running around the middle of each of these beads bear single-wire Arabic inscriptions proclaiming "Glory is God's alone".

Manuel Keene in [Berlin 1981]


Gold and Cloisonné Beads from a Necklace

The tradition of fine filigree and granulation work from Fatimid Egypt and Syria found worthy "heirs" in the Spanish school of jewelry of the Nasrid period. Cloisonné enameling also continued to be employed with goldwork, although Nasrid pieces have a distinctive appearance of their own. Each of these beads is compromised of two hemispherical filigree "cages" supported by visible tie-plates. The two halves of each bead are joined by a central band of cloisonné enamel. Nine out of ten bands have decoration of white floral rosettes of four simple petals with a red nucleus. Two bands have small white crosses with a red square in the middle, and one band has eight-pointed blue stars. Alternating with these motifs are cartouches bearing Arabic inscriptions written in very fine gold wire proclaiming "Glory is God's Alone." These bands can also be found in other contemporary Spanish jewelry (two of which are necklaces in the Museum's collection) indicating their provenance in a Nasrid workshop or related workshops. Inscription cartouches and eight-pointed stars were recurring motifs of the dynasty, not only seen on portable works of art, but also on such great monuments as the Alhambra in Granada.

Annie Christine Daskalakis-Matthews in [Walker et al. 1994]

Inscription: On enameled cartouche on each bead written in Arabic in very fine gold wire:
Glory is God’s Alone

J. Pierpont Morgan (American), New York (until d. 1913; his estate 1913–17; gifted to MMA)

Mexico City. Colegio de San Ildefonso. "Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York," September 30, 1994–January 8, 1995, no. 104.

"Joyas Moriscas." La Ilustracion Espanola y Americana vol. 46, December 1887 (1887). p. 365, ill.

"Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York." In The Arts of Islam. Berlin, 1981. no. 62, pp. 158–59, ill. (b/w).

Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn. "Fatimid Jewelry, Its Subtypes and Influences." Ars Orientalis vol. 18 (1988). pp. 41, 54, ill. figs. 21a, 21b.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Daniel S. Walker, Arturo Ponce Guadián, Sussan Babaie, Stefano Carboni, Aimee Froom, Marie Lukens Swietochowski, Tomoko Masuya, Annie Christine Daskalakis-Matthews, Abdallah Kahli, and Rochelle Kessler. "Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995." In Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York. Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994. no. 104, pp. 252–53, ill. (b/w).

Franco Mata, Ángela. "Sistemas de Acopio de Arte Medieval en Grandes Museos." Boletin del Museo Arqueologico Nacional 2011-2013 (2011-2013). p. 85, ill. fig. 12.