EXOTIC NATURALIA
4 April-20 June
EXOTIC NATURALIA
COURSE ON EXOTIC RAW MATERIALS
Dates:
1st course: 4 April, 9 May, 6 June
2nd course: 18 April, 23 May, 20 June
Timetable: 14.00-18.00
Target audience: Adults
Price: € 120.00/three modules (three sessions)
No. of participants: Min. 12, max. 16
Coordinator: Luís Mendonça de Carvalho, assistant-professor, Polytechnic Institute of Beja and director of its Botanical Museum; guest professor at Harvard University.
One of the most important consequences of the establishment of permanent trading relations between Portugal and the Far East was the direct access gained to rare and precious raw materials and objects. At the beginning of the 16th century, European markets were enriched by exotic materials as had not happened since the Western Roman Empire succumbed to Barbarian invasion. The interest in Eastern products had never disappeared but the lack of stable trading networks did not provide for the maintenance of organised market structures.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Exotica that did reach Europe, via Constantinople and Alexandria, were rare and very costly. The social alterations brought about by the Crusades stimulated interest in Oriental products and trade with some Italian cities, such as Venice and Genoa, helping meet the growing demand for spices and luxury products. However, with the Portuguese voyages of discovery, and following the successful return of Vasco da Gama, European markets were then opened up to Oriental products. Throughout the 16th century, the city of Lisbon was the European trading centre where ambassadors of monarchs, nobles and thinkers sought out Exotic Naturalia and Artificialia able to meet growing material, philosophical and religious needs.
Exotic Naturalia studies the main raw materials arriving in Europe from the Far East whether via the Mediterranean or via the Via Orientalis, dominated by the Portuguese.
The course is divided up into three independent modules:
Module I – Spices
This module explores the history of spices (Siamese cardamom, Ethiopian pepper, white pepper, black pepper, cubeb pepper, long pepper, narrow-leafed Batavia cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cardamom, cardamom amomum, saffron, common turmeric, etc.) from classical times through to the 19th century, with a particular focus on the role played by the Portuguese in their trade and popularity. In addition to historical aspects, there is systematic analysis of plants responsible for the spices, their respective chemical compound characteristics, the composition of their essential oils as well as their contemporaneous applications.
The module includes hundreds of images and samples of all the spices subject to study in addition to the distribution of a bibliography and other support materials.
Module II – Vegetalia
This module studies the history of the core Asian vegetal products (apart from spices) and including examples such as tea, sandalwood, ebony, rhubarb, camphor, coco-do-mer, indigo, cotton, agarwood, myrrh, incense, gamboge, asafoetida giantfennel, gum Arabic, benzoin Siam, benzoin Sumatra, Socotra dragon’s blood, Chinese lacquer, Japanese lacquer, etc.
In addition to the historical dimensions, the systematic analysis incorporates the plants producing these raw materials in conjunction with their contemporaneous usages.
Along with hundreds of images and samples of all products under study, bibliographic and other support materials are provided.
Module III - Animalia – Mineralia
This module is dedicated to the study of the leading exotic raw materials of animal and mineral origin, such as, and for example, purple dye, silk, grey amber, turtle, pearl, mother-of-pearl, rhinoceros and unicorn horn, ivory (elephant, mammoth), ostrich, nautilus, musk, Bezoar stone, lacquer, lapis lazuli, sapphire, ruby, diamonds, among others.
Attention is paid to the relevance of these objects in Renaissance period Chambers of Wonders and their role in the establishment of modern museums. Furthermore, aspects relating to animal species categories, contemporaneous applications for products of animal origin are taken into consideration as well as their legal conservation status.
The study of these Asian objects is carried out through image and bibliography.
Hundreds of images and samples are presented covering all of the items under study, with the bibliography and other study support material also distributed.
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