The medieval Iberian treasury in the context of cultural interchange

320 Pages·2020·33.469 MB·English

by  Therese Martin (editor)

The Medieval Iberian Treasury in the Context of Cultural Interchange
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The Medieval Iberian Treasury

in the Context of Cultural
Interchange
Expanded Edition
Edited by
Therese Martin
LEIDEN | BOSTON
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This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC BY-N C-N D 4.0 license,
which permits any non- commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided no alterations are made and the original author(s) and source are credited.
Further information and the complete license text can be found at
https:// creativecommons.org/ licenses/ by- nc- nd/ 4.0/
The terms of the CC license apply only to the original material. The use of material from other sources
(indicated by a reference) such as diagrams, illustrations, photos and text samples may require further
permission from the respective copyright holder.
Originally published, in part, as Volume 25, No. 1– 2 (2019) of Brill’s journal Medieval Encounters. Chapter 9
was originally published as Nancy L. Wicker, “The Scandinavian Container at San Isidoro, León, in the
Context of Viking Art and Society,” Journal of Medieval Iberian Studies 11/ 2 (2019): 135– 156; it is here
reprinted by permission of the publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd, http:// www.tandfonline.com.
The Medieval Iberian Treasury in Context: Collections, Connections, and Representations on the Peninsula and
Beyond (National Research Challenge Grant, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities,
AEI/ FEDER, RTI2018- 098615- B- I00, 2019– 2022).
Cover illustration: Stole of Queen Leonor (detail), 1197 (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León,
Inv. No. IIC-3-089-002-0024, photo: Therese Martin).
The Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data is available online at http:// catalog.loc.gov
LC record available at http:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2020031596
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/b rill- typeface.
isbn 978-9 0-0 4-4 2458-6 (paperback)
isbn 978-9 0-0 4-4 2459-3 (e- book)
Copyright 2020 by Therese Martin. Published by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Hes & De Graaf, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Rodopi,
Brill Sense, Hotei Publishing, mentis Verlag, Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh and Wilhelm Fink Verlag.
Koninklijke Brill NV reserves the right to protect this publication against unauthorized use.
This book is printed on acid- free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
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Contents

List of Figures vii
Notes on Contributors xiii
1 Beyond the Treasury of San Isidoro: A Tale of Two Projects 1
Therese Martin
2 Caskets of Silver and Ivory from Diverse Parts of the World: Strategic
Collecting for an Iberian Treasury 23
Therese Martin
3 Narrating the Treasury: What Medieval Iberian Chronicles Choose to
Recount about Luxury Objects 61
Ana Rodríguez
4 Textiles from the Museum of San Isidoro (León): New Evidence for Re-
Evaluating Their Chronology and Provenance 81
Ana Cabrera Lafuente
5 Sovereign, Saint, and City: Honor and Reuse of Textiles in the Treasury of
San Isidoro (León) 118
María Judith Feliciano
6 Between León and the Levant: The Infanta Sancha’s Altar as Material
Evidence for Medieval History 145
Jitske Jasperse
7 Demons and Diversity in León 171
Pamela A. Patton
8 Jews, Real and Imagined, at San Isidoro de León and Beyond 201
Julie A. Harris
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vi Contents
9 The Scandinavian Container at San Isidoro, León, in the Context of Viking
Art and Society 223
Nancy L. Wicker
Bibliography 249
Index of People 289
Index of Places 294
Index of Subjects 297
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Figures

1.1 Beatitudes Casket, oblique view, ivories from the late eleventh century (?) on
fourteenth- century wooden box (Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional,
Inv. No. 52092, photo: Therese Martin) 3
1.2 Limoges- style enamelwork casket, late twelfth century (?) (Museo de
la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0003,
photo: Therese Martin) 7
1.3 Seal of Ermesinda of Carcassonne, Countess of Barcelona (d. 1058),
chalcedony (Trésor de la Catedral de Girona, photo: Therese Martin) 10
1.4 Grande Châsse, restoration underway, Monastery of St.- Maurice d’Agaune
(Switzerland) (photo: Pierre Alain Mariaux) 12
1.5a, b Lid and reliquary casket of Saint Isidore, silver and wood, 1063? (Museo de la
Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0001, photos: a,
Therese Martin; b, Amanda Dotseth) 12
1.6a, b Relic bag in tapestry weave, with leonine creatures, geometric and vegetal
motifs (or confronted birds?), silk and silver- gilt thread, twelfth/ thirtheenth
century, origin unknown (Trésor de la Cathédrale de Sens, no. B18,
photos: Ana Cabrera Lafuente) 13
1.7 Andalusi casket, nielloed silver, eleventh century? (Museo de la Real
Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0015,
photo: Therese Martin) 15
1.8 Reliquary casket of Saints John the Baptist and Pelayo, ivory and wood, late
eleventh century (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv.
No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0023, photo: Therese Martin) 16
1.9 Ivory caskets and crozier in the Treasury of the Cappella Palatina, Palermo,
late eleventh to thirteenth centuries; large and small inlaid caskets (back
right) generally dated fourteenth to fifteenth centuries (the treasury
pertains to the Fondo Edifici di Culto of the Ministero dell’Interno,
photo: Silvia Armando) 17
2.1a, b Scandinavian container for perfume (?), antler, Mammen style, ca. 960–1 000/
1025 [NB: the projecting element represents the bird’s head, but the object
is displayed upside down for reasons of stability; ring included for scale]
(Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002-
0009, photos: Therese Martin) 28
2.2 Silver Fatimid casket, 1044– 1047? (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro
de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0014, photo: Therese Martin) 31
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viii Figures
2.3 Sicilian ivory set, 1120s? (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León,
Inv. Nos. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0011, 0012, 0013, photo: Therese Martin) 34
2.4a, b Crucifix of Fernando and Sancha, 1063? (Madrid, Museo Arqueológico
Nacional, Inv. No. 52340, photos: Therese Martin) 42
2.5 Chalice of Urraca, ca. 1067– 1101 (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro
de León, photo: Therese Martin) 44
2.6 Beatitudes Casket, oblique view, ivories from the late eleventh century (?) on
fourteenth- century wooden box (Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional,
Inv. No. 52092, photo: Therese Martin) 50
2.7 Beatitudes Casket, Christian imagery, late eleventh century? (Madrid, Museo
Arqueológico Nacional, Inv. No. 52092, photo: Therese Martin) 51
2.8 Beatitudes Casket, Arabic plaques, late eleventh century? (Madrid, Museo
Arqueológico Nacional, Inv. No. 52092, photo: Therese Martin) 52
2.9 Silver Andalusi casket, turn of the twelfth century? (Madrid, Museo
Arqueológico Nacional, Inv. No. 50867, photo: Therese Martin) 54
4.1 Room number 13, Arte de España, at the International Exhibition of
Barcelona in 1929. The showcase displayed some of the textiles and artworks
from San Isidoro (photo: Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona, AFM12461) 83
4.2a, b The so- called Baghdad silk (Table 1, no. 8), with the left selvedge (2a). The
white and black warps have a Z twist, and the white and red wefts are almost
un-t wisted (2b) (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No.
IIC-3 -0 89-0 02-0 028, photos: a, Therese Martin; b, Ana Cabrera Lafuente) 84
4.3a, b Textile no. 11 showing faded front view and window at the back with
multicolored wefts of the same textile (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San
Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0027, photos: a, Therese Martin;
b, Ana Cabrera Lafuente) 85
4.4 Detail of the embroidery (no. 2) with gold metal threads, scale 1.5 cms
(Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002-
0001, photo: Ana Cabrera Lafuente) 90
4.5 Detail of the gilt- silver metal thread of tablet weave no. 13 (Museo de la Real
Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0025, photo: Ana
Cabrera Lafuente) 90
4.6 Diagram of a twill 2/ 1 (2 wefts or horizontal threads cross over one warp or
longitudinal thread) and the different types of diagrams used to represent
the weaves (published in cieta technical notes) 92
4.7 Full view of the embroidery, no. 2 (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro
de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0001, photo: Therese Martin) 94
4.8 Detail of the re- twisted warps from the maniple (no. 13) (Museo de la Real
Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0025, photo: Ana
Cabrera Lafuente) 95
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Figures ix
4.9 Silk samite from León Cathedral (Museo Catedralicio de León, photo: Ana
Cabrera Lafuente) 97
4.10 Textile (now lost), originally lined Santa Eulalia’s casket from the Cathedral
of Oviedo (photo: Arxiu Mas) 99
4.11 Drawing of the complex decoration of silk textile no. 7. The blank spaces
represent the medallions with figures that need further photographs to be
reproduced accurately (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León,
Inv. Nos. 3- 089- 002- 0025, 0026, 0033, 0034, 0035, 0036, drawing: Ayelet
Shats). 100
4.12a, b Detail of the silk samite that lines the Casket of Saints John the Baptist and
Pelayo (no. 9). One band has oval rather than round medallions (Museo
de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0023,
photos: Ana Cabrera Lafuente and Therese Martin) 102
4.13 San Marcelo casket, early twentieth-century photograph, with textiles
no. 7 and no. 11 still in situ (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de
León, Inv. Nos. 3- 089- 002- 0025, 0026, 0033, 0034, 0035, 0036, 0037, 0038,
photo: Archivo Gómez- Moreno, csic) 107
5.1 Textile lining the reliquary of San Isidoro (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San
Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0001, photo: Ana Cabrera) 124
5.2 Embroidery lining the lid of the reliquary of San Isidoro (Museo de
la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0001,
photo: Therese Martin) 124
5.3 Textile fragment from Colls, 11th century. Silk and gold thread, 51.8 × 58.5 cm.
(Inv. No. 1542, Museo de Huesca) 128
5.4 An assortment of liturgical treasures from Serradui, Huesca (photo: Adolf
Mas, © Arxiu Mas/ Institut Amatller d’Art Hispànic) 132
5.5 Textiles with enamel casket, photographed ca. 1931 (Museo de la Real
Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0003, photo: Adolf
Mas, © Arxiu Mas/ Institut Amatller d’Art Hispànic) 133
5.6 Lining of the Casket of Saints John the Baptist and Pelayo (Museo de la Real
Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0023, photo: Ana
Cabrera) 134
5.7 Elephant fragment or so- called Baghdad Silk (Museo de la Real Colegiata de
San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC-3 -0 89-0 02-0 028, photo: Therese Martin) 135
5.8 Textile fragment with wrestling lions and harpies from the tomb of Pedro
de Osma. Spain, probably Almería, early 12th century. Silk lampas with
supplementary discontinuous metal- wrapped patterning wefts, 50 × 43 cm.
(Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 33.371. Ellen Page Hall Fund, photo: ©
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) 136
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x Figures
5.9 Detail, textile from the reliquary of Saints John the Baptist and Pelayo
(Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002-
0023, photo: Ana Cabrera) 137
5.10 Reliquary of San Marcelo/ San Claudio, early twentieth century, with textiles
still in situ (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. Nos.
3- 089- 002- 0025, 0026, 0033, 0034, 0035, 0036, 0037, 0038, photo: Archivo
Gómez- Moreno, csic) 138
5.11 Detail of San Marcelo/ San Claudio silk, showing a standing male figure with
a knife (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. Nos. 3- 089-
002- 0025, 0026, 0033, 0034, 0035, 0036, photo: Therese Martin) 139
5.12 Detail of San Marcelo/ San Claudio silk, showing a female figure on a beast
(Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. Nos. 3- 089- 002-
0025, 0026, 0033, 0034, 0035, 0036, photo: Therese Martin) 140
6.1 Portable Altar of the Infanta Sancha, 1144, 17.2 × 26.5 × 2.2 cm, silver and
gilded silver, niello, breccia di Aleppo (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San
Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0008, photo: Therese Martin) 148
6.2 Portable Altar of the Infanta Sancha, front edge (Museo de la Real Colegiata
de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0008, photo: Therese
Martin) 152
6.3 Portable Altar of the Infanta Sancha, inscription on the edges (Museo
de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No. IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0008,
photo: Therese Martin; design: Jitske Jasperse) 155
6.4a, b Portable Altar from Hildesheim, 1190– 1200, 25.1 × 35.4 cm, engraved with
vernis brun, red stone, gilt- copper, ivory, vellum under rock crystal (London,
British Museum, museum number 1902,0625.1. © Trustees of the British
Museum. CC BY- NC- SA 4.0) 158
6.5 Lid of the Arca Santa, early twelfth century. Cámara Santa, Oviedo
Cathedral, 93 × 119.8 × 9.5 cm. (photo: César García de Castro Valdés) 158
6.6 Cross of Fernando and Sancha (reverse), ca. 1063, 54.2 × 34 cm. (Madrid,
Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Inv. No. 52340, photo: Therese Martin) 163
6.7a‒b Casket of Saints John the Baptist and Pelayo, late eleventh century,
31 × 48 × 26 cm. (Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro de León, Inv. No.
IIC- 3- 089- 002- 0023, photos: Therese Martin) 164
7.1 Temptation of St. Martin, Panteón de los Reyes, San Isidoro, León
(photo: James D’Emilio) 173
7.2 Detail: Flagellation of Christ, Winchester Psalter (London, British Library,
Cotton ms Nero C iv), fol. 21r (photo © British Library Board, Cotton ms
Nero C iv) 177
7.3 Hell, Silos Beatus (London, bl, Add. ms 11695), fol. 2r (photo dedicated to
the public domain and reproduced under a CC0 1.0 universal license) 180
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