Artesonado
The term artesonado comes from Spanish and describes ornately decorated wooden ceilings, doors or prayer pulpits ( minbar ) with geometric motifs , which were used particularly in the Moorish art of Andalusia and the later Mudejar architecture that was widespread over large parts of Spain .
term
For a long time the term artesonado (= "art of sound") was associated with supposedly special acoustic impressions in rooms with such ceilings. Today, however, the derivation from the Spanish word artesa (= "trough") is gradually gaining ground - due to the similarity of numerous ceiling constructions to an upturned baking trough.
to form
Initially, about 2.50 m long tree trunks (later hewn crossbeams) predominated in ceiling constructions of Islamic architecture, over which branches and / or reed stalks (later unadorned boards) were laid next to one another. Beams and boards were decorated with geometric decorations in important buildings ( mosques , palaces). In a later phase, the long beams were often dropped; instead, ceilings, doors etc. composed of short wooden parts developed. These are the actual artesonado works, the overall construction of which - depending on the space below it - can be square, elongated and round; in many cases, they are given a certain depth of space by rolling the side parts or by dome-like constructions. Often star patterns appear, which are mostly interpreted as a reminder of the nomadic or semi-nomadic way of life of the Moors ( Berbers ) (star tent).
history
Artesonado works are unknown from antiquity and early Islamic art from the Middle East or the Maghreb . There is much evidence that such works have their origin in Andalusia, where they developed from simple wooden beam ceilings to increasingly complex shapes and flourished from the 14th to the 16th centuries. During the time of the Spanish colonial empire , they spread sporadically to Central and South America. In Morocco and the neighboring Maghreb countries, Artesonado ceilings were still being made in the traditional manner in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Examples
Most examples of Artesonado ceilings can be found in the Moorish art of Andalusia and Morocco - e.g. B. Alhambra of Granada , Alcázar of Seville , Aljafería of Saragossa , Synagogue El Tránsito in Toledo , on Tenerife as well as in many palaces of the Moroccan royal cities Fès , Marrakech , Rabat and Meknes .
Mezquita de Cordoba , Spain
Teruel , Spain
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See also
literature
- Hans Koepf , Günther Binding : Picture Dictionary of Architecture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 194). 4th, revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-520-19404-X , pp. 32–33.
