Islamic Spain at the Alhambra

Posted by Barbara Rogers Dec 5, 2006

Before the fall of the last Nasrid ruler in 1492 – signaling the end of Islamic power in Spain – artists had perfected a form of luster-ware ceramics that represented the height of their 800-year culture. More than 100 amphora-shaped vessels decorated in intricate geometric and scroll patterns have been gathered for an exhibition in the Alhambra.

Not nearly as well known and widely recognized as the ceramic tile work that decorates the Alhambra and other palaces, the luster finish was the result of multiple firings and painstaking care in the cooling and heating process. Only a few artists today have perfected this technique, which was largely lost in Spain when the Islamic era ended.

The exhibition, called “The Vessels of the Alhambra” includes an astonishing variety of whole vases and fragments showing a wide variety of designs. It’s a rare chance to see these together in one place – many of them have never before left the museums that own them, coming from locations as far away as The Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The piece from the Hermitage, known as the Fortuny Vase, was a gift from the Granada Caliphate to the Russian Tsar. Many others come from private collections and are not normally on public view.

The exhibition, which will remain there through March of 2007, is located in the Alhambra's museum, in the Charles V Palace,. The Alhambra is open daily, year-round.