The exhibit is titled, ''Encompassing
the
Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries."
When you come into the first gallery you see a spectacular sequence of rare
early maps. It becomes clear that the worldview changed dramatically
within a few decades after the Portuguese discoveries of distant lands.
This naval empire connected civilizations from all the known continents,
transforming commerce and initiating unprecedented cultural exchange.
The guest curator for the exhibit is Jay Levenson, Director of the
International Program at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "This was
the most up-to-date map in the early 15th century in Europe made in Florence, a
manuscript" he explained about one item in the collection. "It
was actually a second century A.D. map by the Greek cartographer and geographer
Claudius Ptolemy. This is a map by the same cartographer but showing a modern
view of the globe around 1490 and it shows the African coast. And look at
the way he had to cut into the bottom margin of the map to show that you could
actually sail into the Indian Ocean. Of course, it is 1490 and there is no
America yet."
Jump ahead half a century and the planet is transformed. A huge wave of
exploration has brought the world into focus. Africa takes on a distinctive
shape. Throughout the 15th century, the Portuguese ventured down the Atlantic
coast of Africa where they acquired gold and slaves.
Artisans in the kingdoms of Benin, Kongo [part of modern day Congo], and
present day Sierra Leone traded exquisitely carved exotic ivory objects.
Ivory tableware, hunting horns and saltcellars -- a type of ceremonial
container to protect the precious commodity of table salt -- were all
commissioned by the Portuguese.
Some of the fascinating objects are seething with tension. A 16th
century Nigerian saltcellar depicts a slave ship with Portuguese sailors
supporting it. The sailor's faces are carved like African masks and the
ship's captain holds an African spear. The effect is charming until you
notice the small, wide-eyed face peering out from inside the ship. It
takes on a disturbing edge.
A stool made from the bones of an elephant was presented as a gift in 1551 by
King Joao III of Portugal to the Archduke Maximilian II of Austria. It is
engraved with the Maximilian II coat of arms.
African ostrich eggs are fashioned into cups with ornate gold mounts.
Other products of the animal world include the shell of the nautilus
incorporated with gold and precious stones.
The Portuguese discovered a sea route to the spices of India. Objects
acquired along the way would be reworked at the next port.
A heart shaped tortoise shell flask from India brought to Spain and mounted
with silver. A 16th century tortoise shell from India fashioned into a plate.
It is the same with other objects: An Indian craftsman turned one into a
special shape. And when it got back to Europe they gave it to a goldsmith
to turn it into a more luxurious object. You could see how fascinated
people were with the materials -- new materials coming from the new world
A rhinoceros horn mounted in Lisbon with gold filigree, pearls and rubies.
Indian mother of pearl vessels that were given precious silver gilt mounts
when they arrived in Europe in the 16th century.
An Ivory fan carved in Sri Lanka. Also from Sri Lanka, sculptures of the
Child Christ made of rock crystal, gold sapphires and rubies.
For all that it changed in the world, Portugal's empire remains largely
unknown in America where it was overshadowed by the Spanish.
related:
Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th
Centuries
Sackler Portugal Treasures of
Portuguese Explorers
