Museum Tour - Centro de Interpretação e Museus Virtuais
Transcrição
Museum Tour - Centro de Interpretação e Museus Virtuais
MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Museum Tour Journey into the past Within the programme designed for the Baroque house, the palace is organised on two, perfectly defined, levels: the functional ground floor with the servant areas and the main floor and above with the living and entertaining areas. 17 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR Lobby and Staircase 18 19 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Lobby and Staircase Representation and Power With its character of representing the power of the family that lived and was reflected in the house, the Lobby imposes itself as a stately entrance and represents a curious survivor of the inner courtyard where carriages would once have entered. With its box, dating from the 18th century and entirely stone structure, with the exception of the covered with leather panels painted dur- wooden ceiling, the design is one of a majestic arcade. ing a later period, and upholstered inside with red damask, a fabric much prized during the era. This would have been used to transport one person, generally a lady or cleric, and carried on wooden The space incorporates five granite including tricorn hat, and are bent over poles by two male bearers. There is also sculptures, characteristic “welcoming in a courteous welcoming bow. a litter from the 19th century which is figures” who receive visitors, in a style very typical of the age. used to transport two people sitting fac- embellishment and, simultaneously, to ing each other and carried by mules led archer in Roman costume, and the two prevent the horses pulling the car- by a postilion (lackey). at the sides, depicting native Indians riages, which entered to drop off their (Amerindians?) whose position, in typi- passengers next to the arches leading were also very common sights on the cal Baroque fashion, suggests a trium- to the stairs up to the main floor, from city streets, while stagecoaches and phant blowing of horns, is presumably losing their footing. The iron hoops mules would have been used for the diffi- from the period when the house was inserted into the pilasters would have cult business of travelling between urban extended, by order of Dean D. Fran- been used to tie up the horses. areas, given the poor state of the roads. cisco Pereira da Silva, in the second decade of the 18th century. The two others11 that alternate with Small chair. Portugal. 18th century (2nd half). Gilded and silver‑plated wood, damask and polychrome leather. Height 141 x Width 72 x Depth 245 cm. Inv. 176 MDS. 20 similarly built but which would have been ric designs for the dual purposes of The central statue, representing an ABOVE The floor is engraved with geomet- The hallway from the lobby to the cloister on the right was originally distinguished by a portico with pseudo-Solo- these, of a later and palatial appear- monic columns on either side of the door. ance, represent doormen or pages Forms of transport that were com- dressed in 18th century costume, Carriages and two-wheeled chaises mon during the period because they ABOVE LEFT Staircase. Partial view. ABOVE RIGHT Floor. Detail. Granite. were easy to navigate around the narrow city streets can be seen on display: a palanquin, consisting of a carved wooden 21 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS ABOVE RIGHT Azulejo (tile) panel. António Vital Rifarto (attrib.). Portugal. 18th century (1st half). Height 280 x Length 188 cm. Azulejo (tile) panel. António Vital Rifarto (attrib.). Portugal. 18th century (1st half). Height 176 x Length 562 cm. On the floor, an iron shoe scraper. The Staircase establishes the con- upper ornamentation of drapery and nection between the two areas of the garlanded flowers. palace and in it is defined the strong Doors and windows open onto the contrast between the plainness of the Staircase, marking the division be- ground floor and the luminous radiance tween the two areas, the main floor and of the blue and white azulejo (tile) pan- the ground floor, and, simultaneously, els that line the walls and accompany accentuating the theatricalised and you as you climb the stairs. ostentatious appearance of the whole, Dating from the first half of the redolent of the Baroque mentality. 18th century and corresponding to the Finally, two iron shoe scrapers can Joanine period, the azulejos (tiles) are be seen on the ground beside the two the work of António Vital Rifarto. The entrance doors on the main floor where subject matter – mythology, exoti- visitors would have cleaned their shoes cism (Orientals wearing turbans) and before entering the house’s living area. gallantry – appear between drawings of pilasters surmounted by urns, with RIGHT PAGE Welcoming figure: archer. Sculpture. Portugal (Braga?). 18th century (1st half). Granite. Height 135 cm. 22 23 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Entrance Hall 24 25 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Entrance Hall LEFT Ornamental ceiling. Detail. Classical effigy. Painting and tempera on stucco. Etiquette and Adornment The Entrance Hall is consistent with the etiquette of the era, which required visitors to wait until being taken by pages or foot servants through to meet the lords of the house. Cyrillo Volkmar Machado comments in his Memórias on the arrival of the Italian João Grossi to the board of the Aula As regards the contents of the hall, at the heraldic representation and an owl, de Estuques e Desenhos in Lisbon, cre- edges can be seen three benches and among other ornamental motifs. Next ated by the Marquis of Pombal in 1764. a box seat – the latter functioning both to them is a pair of 17th century tall tin In the Minho, in 1785, Friar Bernardo da as a seat and a display stand for objects candlesticks. Esperança, a Benedictine and future – and, in the centre, a decorative ebony The room has a small lantern and a table with turned legs and boards and ceiling decorated with artistic stucco, ferred to the poor state of the stucco at brass embellishments, then known as displaying festoons of laurel leaves that the Monastery do Pombeiro. In Braga, “gilded bronze”, all from the 17th and are associated with the paintings of clas- the ceiling of the main altar at the 18th centuries and made in Portugal. sical effigies adorned with loosely-tied Church dos Congregados contained knots. The base of the skylight is deco- the only surviving example of rococo rated with a frieze of acanthus leaves. stucco in the city. 12 Arranged on the table are two blue and white Portuguese ceramic plates ABOVE Plate. Ceramic. Portugal. 17th century. Height 6.5 x Ø 33.8 cm. Inv. 228 MDS. Abbot Head of the Congregation, re- from the sixteen hundreds, demon- The building contains a series of strating the decorative influence of examples of artistic stucco which are the architects and furniture design- In Portugal, the stucco designs of oriental porcelain. In the centre of one of great interest for the recognition of ers working for the Scottish brothers can be seen a boar, an animal hunted the importance this type of decoration Robert and James Adam influenced at a time when this practice was very assumed in Portuguese interiors from above all the northern region, and were popular, while the other exhibits a the 18th century onwards. neoclassical in style. ABOVE Plate. Ceramic. Portugal. 17th century. Height 6.7 Ø 41.5 cm. Inv. 630 MB. 26 27 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Great Hall 28 29 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Great Hall Opulence and Pomp The palace’s Great Hall brings together all the features that characterised the Baroque style in Braga, azulejos (tiles), woodcarving and painting, and constitutes a notable example of a civil interior from the north of the country from the period in question. The palace’s Great Hall brings together all the features that characterised ABOVE ABOVE D. Pedro III. Painting. 18th cen‑ tury. Oil on canvas. Height 94.5 x Width 74 cm. Inv. 177 MDS. D. João V. Painting. 18th century. Oil on canvas. Height 103 x Width 79 cm. Inv. 197 MDS. the Baroque style in Braga, azulejos 17th century azulejo (tile) making (tiles), woodcarving and painting, and reflected Portugal’s fascination with the beautiful ladies stand out, dressed in of vegetal scrolls, children (putti) and constitutes a notable example of a civil delicate Chinese porcelain exported to the manner of the seventeen hundreds fluttering birds. interior from the north of the country Europe by sea via Portugal’s contacts and sitting in gardens, while next to from the period in question. with the Orient. It should also be added them can be seen statues, mythological mon feature in paintings of this type that the attraction for walls fully decorat- beings, festoons and garlands of flow- in Lisbon, the figures are beautifully dour and light-hearted style, was com- ed with azulejos (tiles) can be explained ers, tablets with Latin captions and oth- drawn and the whole corresponds to missioned by Dean D. Francisco Pereira by Portugal’s proximity to the rich Arabic er Baroque ornamental motifs, forming the ornamental effects of great impact da Silva in the first quarter of the 18th culture of the Iberian Peninsular. at all four corners ascending flights of so beloved of this era. The room, with all its pomp, splen- century as part of the work to enlarge and enhance the family residence. Standing out is the ornamental oil stairs with balustrades. Two of the fe- Although not illusionist, a com- On the walls hang canvas oil painting that covers the chestnut wood male figures can be seen holding tablets paintings portraying members of the ceiling with a vault design created by indicating the year in which the painting Portuguese royal family from the 18th panels, attributed 13 to the influence of the Oporto painter Manuel Furtado de was executed, “A/NNO/DE”,“1724”. The century, namely D. João V, the palatial P.M.P., and date from the first quarter Mendonça,14 or a Braga school inspired background consists of a landscape of king who raised the Court and Church of the seventeen hundreds. The subject by him. The ceiling commemorates trees, blue sky and clouds. to their fullest splendour, D. Pedro III, matter is essentially moments of gal- and pays homage to a family ancestor lantry in gardens and landcapes, horse- who once inhabited the house, the be- position, suspended in the same sky, riding and hunting scenes, references atified Miguel de Carvalho, a Jesuit who the depiction of the bearded Jesuit, to the preoccupations of the nobility of was martyred at the stake in Japan. his raised arms tied to a stake and sur- The walls are lined with azulejo (tile) the era. It should be noted that the blue and white colour scheme that so influenced 30 15 We can see in the centre of the com- Above the cornice, a continuous rounded by men and flames. The scene composition spreads all the way around is framed by a typically Baroque border the oval edge of the vault in which eight consort of Queen D. Maria I, and her FOLLOWING PAGE Ornamental ceiling. Partial view. Manuel Furtado de Mendonça (attrib.). Portugal. 1724. Oil painting on wood and gilded carving. 31 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 32 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 33 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS ABOVE Azulejo (tile) panel. P.M.P. (attrib.). Portugal. 18th century (1st quarter). Height 164 x Length 381 cm. son D. José, Prince of Beira and Brazil, rare beauty; before them swaggered who died prematurely. The fourth por- the elegant men of the age, attired in trait is of a female figure, conceivably majestic embroidered tailcoats and identified as the wife of the latter, the powdered leonine wigs, with palatial ra- Infanta D. Maria Francisca Benedita. piers at their side and frilly pleated shirt These pictures give us an insight into fronts, puffing out their chests with the sumptuosness of royal male and fe- ruffles of the finest lace, on which sat male costume in 18th century Portugal, gleaming emerald brooches; grave and characterised by the quality of the fab- measured pavanes and delicate minu- rics, in silk, brocade, velvet and ermine, ets were danced to the doleful sound of and the richness of the jewels. harpsichords inlaid with ivory.”16 With regard to another seigneurial house, Luís Leite Ataíde transports us into the atmosphere of sociability that existed in these houses from the mid18th century onwards: “In the rooms ... beautiful ladies exhibited themselves in balloon dresses, whose silk was speckled with graceful bouquets intermingled with sparkling jewels of 34 RIGHT Azulejo (tile) panel. Detail. P.M.P. (attrib.). Portugal. 18th century (1st quarter). Height 170 x Length 950 cm (whole panel). 35 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Oratory 36 37 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Oratory Intimacy and Devotion BOTTOM RIGHT Good Shepherd. Sculpture. India. 17th century. Ivory. Height 30 x Width 14 cm. Inv. 264 MDS. Standing Crucifix. Sculpture. India. 18th century. Ivory and wood. Height 88 x Width 38 cm. Inv. 710 (b) MB. There would have been religious iconography spread throughout the rooms of homes, while oratories, areas dedicated to prayer and religious practices, were commonplace. From the 17th century, the chapel be- on pedestals, adorned with a vegetal Also from India is na 18th century came an integral part of the Portuguese festoon and exotic birds. Standing Crucifix, with the Christ fig- seigneurial house. This was associated Inside the cupboard can be seen ure in undulating silk, sculpted in the with a period of intense religiousness in religious sculptures placed at ascend- same material, on a hardwood cross the society of the era, but also with the ing levels structured like an altar, with and with ivory inlays and decorations, habit of restricting women’s place to the an Indo-Portuguese image, a Good of which a winged cherub at the base inside of the home. Shepherd from the 17th century, of the cross stands out. Also originat- made entirely from ivory and reveal- ing from the Orient is a small “Salvator area reserved for devotion. Opposite ing traces of original polychrome. This Mundi” image of the Baby Jesus. the door stands a Baroque-style ora- is a very special icon as it solidifies tory chest, japanned in an exuberant the interpenetration of two religions, corresponded to the art work pro- colour scheme of red, gold and green Christianity and Buddhism, through duced in India, Hindustan, and was and exhibiting chinoiserie motifs. We find ourselves in the Oratory, an Indo-Portuguese religious imagery the representation of a youthful-look- especially prized by the Portuguese The doors are decorated internally ing European Christ with curly hair in nobility and clergy. with paintings of flower-filled basins meditational pose, features common 17 to representations of Buddha. Two candlestick angels, typically Baroque, in padded wood, illuminate ABOVE Armchair. Portugal. 17th century. Wood, leather and gilded brass. Height 141 x Width 64.5 x Depth 50 cm. Inv. 83 MB. 38 39 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS RIGHT BOTTOM St. Anthony. Sculpture. Portugal. 18th century. Gilded, padded and polychrome wood and silver (resplendor). Height 88 x Width 35.8 cm. Inv. 709 (a) MB. Chasuble. Italy (fabric)/ Flanders (embroidery). 15th century (fabric)/16th century (embroidery). Velvet, polychrome silk thread, gilded and silver-plated laminated thread. Height 118 x Width 75 cm (back). Inv. 1/87. the inside of the altar, where an ivory sides. At the back of the table, stand a chaplet can also be seen and some pair of 17th century tin candlesticks. Qing Dynasty Chinese polychrome porcelain vases from the 18th century. Exhibited in the room is a valuable vestment, a chasuble whose 15th cen- On the right as you enter, protected tury Italian fabric is embellished with by the seventeenth century Portuguese Flemish embroidery from the follow- painting Our Lady of the Conception ing century. 18 and the Baby Jesus stands another We can also see a leather armchair altar bedecked in velvet brocade with a with a lady motif on the backrest. In the guardian angel in the centre and an im- Iberian Peninsula, the Arabic influence age of St. Barbara in padded wood and stimulated the development of leather missal printed in Antwerp in 1751 on the art, which reached great heights during the 17th and 18th centuries. In Portugal, leather work achieved a ABOVE Baby Jesus “Salvator Mundi”. Sculpture. India. 17th century. Ivory. Height 18 cm. Inv. 400 MB. very high level of skill and refinement. On the left as you enter, and hung on of “St. Anthony” from the seventeen Once prepared, the hide was essen- the wall, is an oil painting on board hundreds, a pair of tin candlesticks tially applied to pieces of furniture, and representing St. Martinho offering his from the 17th century and two Qing in particular chairs. cape to a beggar. On the same side is a Dynasty polychrome vases, examples wooden bench or table with a smooth of Chinese export porcelain, from the um’s rooms are different styles of chair top and turned legs from the 17th following century. dating from the 17th century. century. On this stands a padded figure Distributed throughout the muse- 40 41 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Dais Room 42 43 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Dais Room RIGHT Obedience and Confinement Contador de estrado (dais cabinet). India. 17th cen‑ tury. Teak, sisso wood and ivory. Height 17.9 x Width 24.8 x Depth 18.4 cm. Inv. 316 MB. “The convent grill and the blinds of private houses constituted a (woman’s) means of contact with the outside world.” 19 Let us now delve a little into the domestic world of women during the 17th century and the early years of the following century. For socio-cultural reasons that ABOVE Bottle. China. Ming Dynasty. Porcelain. Height 33.5 x Ø 11.4 cm. Inv. 164 MB. are predominantly Moorish in origin In Portuguese homes, the lady of a woman, is depicted sitting on a richly – given the long contact with Arabic the house and all the other women furnished estrado (dais) with the Arch- peninsular culture – but also stimu- (daughters, family members, servants angel Gabriel positioned on the outside. lated by an ancestral Judaeo-Christian and slaves) would pass the day sitting vision that relegated the woman to a life cross-legged on a estrado (dais) 20 found in the room in the central rug- of domestic confinement and a posi- weaving, embroidering and talking. covered estrado (dais) with its small Reference to this tradition can be tion of inferiority, consecrated in law, Sitting on fine carpets, they would Portuguese noblewomen up until the be surrounded by beautiful cushions above on which resides an Indo-Por- 18th century lived cloistered within the made from luxurious fabrics or painted tuguese contador de estrado (dais home or convent. leather tapestries and by other elegant cabinet) from the 17th century, inlaid objects. Bufetes (tables), contadores with teak, sisso and ivory and a Ming of women sitting cross-legged on the (multi-drawer cabinets) and writing Dynasty cup. floor or on a low platform called a desks known as estrados (daises), estrado (dais) in the oriental fashion whose dimensions were adapted to suit damask cushions, a Ming Dynasty Chi- had persisted in Portugal. The tradition the position of a woman when sitting, nese pot and a brass and wood censer continued to exist until the beginning of are examples of this age-old custom. or thurible on which aromatic herbs Since the Middle Ages, the habit the 19th century. Illustrating this custom, on the far wall as you enter is a Mannerist-style bufete (table) of the type described Also visible on the structure are two such as rosemary and lavender would have been burnt over embers. Portuguese painting dating from the ABOVE Cup. China. Ming Dynas‑ ty. Porcelain. Height 11 x Ø 22.5 cm. Inv. 2273 MB. 44 17th century depicting the “Annunciation of the Virgin” in which Our Lady, as 45 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS RIGHT St. Anthony with the Baby Jesus. Painting. Portugal. 17th century. Oil on board. Height 95 x Width 105 cm. Inv. 1942 MB. ABOVE Houses were furnished with oriental stimulated by Vasco da Gama’s discov- damask bedspread in the style of the carpets of Persian, Turkish and Indian ery of the maritime route to the East. era, stands out. provenance, 21 though reference The objects contained in the room refer should also be made to the Hispano- to connections with India (Indo-Portu- cal of the ostentation characteristic Moorish wares from the cities of guese furniture), China (Ming Dynasty of the period, are mall Ming Dynasty Alcaraz and Cuenca. white and blue ceramics) and Japan Chinese plates, blue and white Dutch (japanned furniture). earthenware, 17th century Portuguese By the end of the 16th century, 22 carpet making was already underway By the walls are pieces of japanned Displayed in the dresser, and typi- plates and an 18th century Portuguese in the Portuguese town of Arraiolos, furniture from the 18th century that Baroque silver salver, very typical of presumably of national origins, inspired attempt to imitate the stunning lacquer Portuguese homes. by foreign styles then found in the effects, adorned with polychrome, country, and which, from the second combining gold with red or green. remaining paintings reveals, among half of the 17th century, expanded Looking from left to right, these consist others, a work entitled Still Life, pre- to supply the luxurious homes of the of a grandfather clock, a dresser and a sumably by the Flemish School and clergy and nobility. contador (cabinet). from the 17th century, containing a Evident throughout the room is the Portuguese contact with the Orient, 46 Before we leave, a glance at the Around the room, for decorative whole set of symbols pertaining to this purposes, are arranged luxury objects, type of theme, and St. Anthony and the of which a 17th century Indo-Portu- Child, which was produced in Portugal guese writing desk, associated with and reveals the influence of the work of which is a Ming Dynasty ceramic bottle, Josefa of Óbidos. positioned on a table covered with a Still Life. Painting. Flanders (?). 17th century. Oil on canvas. Height 69,6 x Width 93 cm. Inv. 186 MDS. ABOVE Pot. Ceramic. China. Ming Dynasty. Height 28 x Ø 15.5 cm. Inv. 17 MB. 47 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Music and Games Room 48 49 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Music and Games Room Sensibility and Sociability Social relations in Portugal underwent a profound change, particularly from the mid-18th century onwards, for reasons that can be explained by the opportune attempts of D. João V (1706-50) to modernise in the first half of the century. Following the French courtly model, efforts were made to create new social habits that freed Portuguese women from the archaic Moorish customs to which they were subject. Besides the public feasts that char- The atmosphere is typically palacial. During the 18th century, the Iberian acterised the Baroque period, social Reference is to be made to two pianos, Peninsula was a fashionable tourist co-fraternisation invaded the home, in particular the table piano, placed destination. Travelling at the time was initiating an unstoppable process that near the entrance, from the late 18th- seen as an educational pastime and a transformed habits and attitudes. early 19th century. form of personal development, and was From that point onwards, social get Vase (pair). From the dinner service commissioned by the 5th Marquis of Marial‑ va. China. Qing Dynasty. Qianlong Kingdom. 1775. Porcelain. Height 21.5 x Width 18 cm. Inv. 159 MB and 160 MB. 50 only possible for a markedly cosmo- European paintings, of which Our Lady, politan aristocratic elite. Numbered habits of the aristocracy and rising The Child and St. John the Baptist and among these travellers were noble- bourgeoisie. This socializing, which Solomon with the Head of St. John the men, scholars and scientists, the latter expressed itself through the manifest Baptist, both on the right, stand out. On motivated by cultural reasons, but also presence of women, became associ- the same wall, and also of note, is the adventurers who published tales about ated with dancing, music and games, of later oval portrait of Queen D. Maria I their time in Portugal. which cards was the most popular. (1777-1816). The room that has always been the ABOVE On the walls hang 17th century togethers began to form part of the The furniture on view is Portuguese Carl Ruders, a Swede who spent some time in Portugal at the end of Music Room since the house was built, and predominantly from the 18th centu- the 18th century, wrote: “Every night documented by the presence of musical ry, with the exception of the writing desk we were invited to a soirée – as these motifs on the ceiling stucco, and whose and ventó (cabinet), of Indo-Portuguese neoclassical decoration is Adam-influ- manufacture and from the 17th century, enced, 23 would have been the stage for which are arranged each to one side on countless social get togethers. the damask-decorated tables. ABOVE Solomon with the head of St. John the Baptist. Painting. Europe. 17th century. Oil on canvas. Height 114. 7 x Width 173.5 cm. Inv. 180 MDS. 51 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS BOTTOM BOTTOM RIGHT Ventó (cabinet). India. 17th century. Teak, sisso wood and ivory. Height 38.4 x Width 30.8 x Circum. 41.2 cm. Inv. 89 MB. Writing desk. India. 17th century. Teak, ebony, ivory and gilded brass. Height 33 x Width 45.5 x Depth 35.5 cm. Inv. 88 MB. Tray. Decoration inspired by an engraving by Moreau Le Jeune. China. Qing Dunasty. Qianlong Kingdom. Circa 17601780. Porcelain. Height 3 x Width 23 x Length 27.9 cm. Inv. 222 MB. The spread of exotic drinks like tea, 26 from whose windows one could see a Of this collection, of particular note coffee and chocolate altered eat- broad stretch of the Tagus.” are the pieces of different services meetings used to be called – where one would converse and play whist, 24 27 28 tresillo and Boston whist. ... At nine ing habits not only in Portugal, but o’clock, tea, coffee, lemonade, syrup throughout Europe, and were associ- gave rise to the creation of specific by the central window: teapot, milk jug, water, almond milk, bread, toast drip- ated with the expressive increase in services and new types of crockery, tea flask, sugar bowl, dessert bowl and ping in butter and all kind of cakes socialising among the Portuguese. such as the coffeepot, chocolate pot, two teacups with saucers. and pastries are served. Around William Beckford, an Englishman The consumption of these drinks and coffee, chocolate and tea cups, displayed on the small claw foot table At the back, a games table, from midnight, more food is served and the who travelled to Portugal and remained the latter a European development of the late seventeen hundreds, exhibits guests leave around 2 o’clock. At one here from May to September 1787, the Chinese cup, milk jug, sugar bowl, cards and backgammon pieces, a game soirée, when the game was at its most describes a meal at the home of the saucer, teapot and, at the end of the that was also highly popular within the animated, there was a most pleas- Marquis of Penalva: “It consisted of 18th century, the samovar. high society of the age. ant break at which Mademoiselle M. chocolate, sweets, tea and excellent recited several Portuguese songs to coffee, and was served on Dresden use of new styles of teapot and tea flask, ware can also be seen scattered around the accompaniment of Senhor J. on the porcelain. I have never enjoyed such an which were made from the most varied the room and, on the half commode at piano. These types of songs, which are admirable breakfast in England. The and refined materials, ranging from sil- the back, a table clock flanked by a pair known as ‘modinhas’ here, are no less tablecloth and napkins were beautiful ver to European and Chinese porcelain. of Qing Dynasty emblazoned porcelain pleasing to a foreigner’s ear than that and curiously embroidered with arms In this room can be seen innumer- vases from the dinner service commis- of a local’s. The said artiste then sang and flowers in red on a white back- able pieces of Chinese export porcelain sioned by the 5th Marquis Marialva, several compositions of her own in the ground. Myriad salvers, with enormous from the 18th century Qing Dynasty. chief equerry to Queen D. Maria I. Italian style.”25 strawberries, perfumed the house, 52 This period also saw the widespread Portuguese and European glass- 53 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Office 54 55 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Office Heritage and Culture The office 29 is housed in a room with a Books during the ancien régime rep- By the table stand leather armchairs Also visible in the room is a decora- neoclassical azulejo (tile) wainscot and resented important cultural tools. On with gilded brass studs from the sec- tive mirror over the chimney in gilded an ornamental ceiling of relief stucco, display in the room are leather-bound ond half of the 17th century. carving from the seventeen hundreds, decorated with a painting in the centre. publications from the 17th and 18th Seigneurial houses habitually possessed a library, which contained centuries. On the wall to the right is an oil paint- on the wall on the right, a neoclassical grandfather or column clock. On the subject of writing, there are Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony and the An- the archive of documents relating to four writing desks – Indo-Portuguese nunciation dating from the 17th century. the family assets and their respective pieces from the sixteen hundreds – dis- On the other walls, St. Mary Magdalen administration. tributed around the room, two of which (?), an oil on canvas placed above the Inácio José Peixoto, the Braga as- on the drop-leaf table on the right, the fireplace and a collection of European sociate judge previously mentioned smallest presumably Filipino. 31 Next to engravings illustrating the Biblical motif with regard to Dr. Constantino Ribeiro these can be seen a manuscript and a of the story of Joseph in Egypt. do Lago, mentioned, “as stated in the Portuguese ceramic ink pot from the provisions that I saw in the Casa dos following century. Biscainhos archive.”30 From the same period is the polychrome glassware, which was made in ABOVE Ink pot. Portugal. 18th century. Blue and winecoloured earthenware. Height 6 x Ø 17.7 cm. Inv. 2370 MB. 56 flanked by a pair of Chinese pots, and, ing on board, a tryptych, entitled St. ABOVE St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony and the Annunciation. Painting. Portugal. 17th century. Oil on board. Height 133 x Width 172.5 x Depth 7.5 cm. Inv. 191 MDS. At the back, a bureau displays various objects, among them a salver with pieces of Chinese export porcelain from the 18th century Qing Dynasty. Portugal and contains captions alluding to the Portuguese kings D. João V and D. José I (1750-77). 57 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 2ND FLOOR Dining Room 58 59 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Dining Room RIGHT Tray. From the dinner ser‑ vice commissioned by the 1st Viscount of Mirandela. China. Qing Dynasty. Qianlong Kingdom. 1795. Porcelain. Height 3.8 x Width 27.5 x Length 36.5 cm. Inv. 214 MB. Pomp and Pleasure The Dining Room is housed in a room with neoclassical features, displaying an ornamental ceiling with artistic stucco and a central painting flanked by four landscapes, the latter in the style of Jean Pillement. The walls exhibit paintings and azulejos As the century progressed, table habits The room contains Portuguese neo- (tiles) in the style of the ambiance, cor- evolved, with a profusion of new man- classical furniture, with the exception responding to the period of the reign ners and refinement of implements of the English-style dresser, in which of Queen D. Maria I, all dating from the that already existed such as cutlery: can be seen a French Empire clock, in end of the 18th century. “The spoon, knife and fork became part gilded bronze, cutlery sets, covered of an individual set of tableware which with fish skin35 and lined on the inside meal area probably first appeared in was now placed next to each guest’s with crimson velvet, amid 18th century Portugal in the third quarter of the 18th plate and the handles of the three items Chinese wine coolers. century. 32 Until then, meals would have were made to look similar by means of been served in different rooms accord- generally identical decoration.” The Dining Room as a dedicated ABOVE Thin-necked water jug. Portugal. 18th century. Tin. Height 26. 5 x Width 21 x Ø 10.3 cm. Inv. 3350 MEP. 34 On the wall tables, among other objects can be seen three silver-plated ing to the mood of the masters of the At the end of the 18th century, in brass samovars and two thin-necked house, the servants moving the table contrast to the efforts of the Marquis of water jugs, one of which in tin, usually legs and tops, 33 which would have been Pombal, chief minister to King D. José I, associated with finger bowls used for set with the finest fabrics, tin tableware to stimulate the Portuguese ceramics keeping diners’ hands clean as part of and, in later periods, silver and Euro- industry, the Portuguese nobility’s taste the table ritual. pean and Chinese porcelain. for elegant European and Oriental china At the back, above the stove, hangs grew unabated, specifically Qing Dy- a canvas oil painting portraying King D. nasty Chinese porcelain, among which João VI (1818 -1822). many commissioned dinner services produced in China decorated with the heraldic motifs of the different families. 60 61 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 01 02 01 Plate. China. Qing Dy‑ nasty. Qianlong Kingdom. 18th century. Porcelain. Height 2.4 Ø 22.4 cm. Inv. 219 MB. 02 Plate. China. Qing Dy‑ nasty. Qianlong Kingdom. 18th century. Porcelain. Height 3.1 Ø 23.8 cm. Inv. 265 MB. BOTTOM Set of cutlery. Portugal. 18th century, 2nd half. Wood, fish skin, velvet and metal. Height 38.3 x Width 24 x Depth 27 cm. Inv. 2208 MB. 03 Plate. 03 04 Decoration ins‑ pired by the engraving by Moreau Le Jeune. China. Qing Dynasty. Qianlong Kingdom. 18th century. Porcelain. Height 2.8 Ø ∅ 23.5 cm. Inv. 226 MB. 04 Plate. China. Qing Dy‑ nasty. Qianlong Kingdom. 18th century. Porcelain. Height 2.8 Ø 22.6 cm. Inv. 202 MB. In the built-in wall cupboard, Chinese ...”36 37 William Beckford, who was on Qing Dynasty porcelain occupies the friendly terms with the Marquis of upper shelves, while 18th century Marialva, described a lunch at the Portuguese ceramics are exhibited on home of the Portuguese aristocrat: “At the lower two. two we sat at table en famille. … The On the central table can be seen a dinner was served on silver tableware pair of bronze seven-stick candelabra and there was a large variety of dishes of the type typical of the age. served to a huge number of gentlemen At banquets, the presentation of the dishes was especially elaborate and the and chaplains, several of whom decorated with the Order of Christ …”38 39 food abundant. Arthur William Costigan, an Englishman who served as a soldier in Portugal up until 1776, wrote the following about a banquet to which he was invited: “I have never seen so great a variety of delicacies presented to so few people 62 63 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR Cloister 64 65 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Cloister Austerity and Nature This inner courtyard, rectangular in plan and double colonnaded, reveals the Italian influence on Portuguese architecture. ABOVE Built from granite, the two-storey Baroque, with sculpted pilasters and gallery opening onto an open-air area keystones on the upper arches with has a fountain with a circular basin decorative vegetal motifs. and sculptural motif in the centre. Cladding the walls on the 2nd floor Murmuring water gushes from the lips of the courtyard are 17th century poly- of cherubs, enveloping the space in chrome azulejo (tile) wainscots of blue, magical nostalgia. yellow and white with an ornamental The setting conjures images of 17th motif, known as “tapete” (carpet), in the century noblewomen, confined to the tradition of wall coverings of tapestries interior of their homes and forbidden and worked fabrics, lining the walls with from enjoying the pleasures of the open a continuous ornamental mesh. air except when hidden from prying Cloister. Partial view. The cloister is the glue that holds the eyes in the safe surroundings provided different wings of the palace together, by inner courtyards like this one, or the centre on which they all converge. gardens shielded by high walls. The eastern end has a double arcade surmounted by a balcony with ABOVE Cloister. Partial view. 66 pillars, forming a patio onto which three windowed doors open. The style is ABOVE Azulejo (tile) panel. Detail. Portugal. 17th century. Height 124 cm x Length 585 cm (whole panel). 67 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR Private Chambers 68 69 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Private Chambers Pain and Happiness RIGHT Safe. 17th century. Portu‑ gal (?). Turtleshell and sil‑ ver. Height 16.1 x Length 20.4 cm. Inv. 2159 MB. “I am not surprised that the bedstead has, for generations, been the most sumptuous of all furniture. It is where one is born, where one loves, where one dies. It is present at the beginning and at the end. It is first to hear a baby’s cry and trembles with an old man’s final convulsion. In its six feet fits the whole cycle of human life.”. J.D. The Private Chambers consist of a served the purpose of keeping the heat commonly washed parts of the body be- number of connected rooms with in and the damp out, as well as ensur- ing the hands, face and, predominantly, Empire period wall paintings and refer ing a degree of intimacy in a space usu- the feet, which explains the presence of to the living aspect of the traditionally ally shared by several people, namely “bacias de pés de cama” (bedside foot multipurpose bedrooms, which during children, family and even servants. basins) or “lavapés” (foot washes). the ancien régime developed into the ABOVE Fan. 18th century. Ivory, paper and gouache. Holland (?). Height 27.5 x Width 52.5 cm. Inv. 2367 (x) MB. The fabrics used were delicate and It was in the bedroom with the help private rooms for sleeping, dressing, luxurious, such as the finest Dutch of servants that the nobles performed washing and praying. linen, lace, embroidery, such as Indo- their toilette, adorning themselves with Portuguese and Castelo Branco bed- magnificent clothes and jewellery. At that time, the word “bed” referred only to bed linen, while the wooden structure on which it was laid spreads, silk, damask and brocade. Adjoining the bedroom there some- out was called a bedstead. Tradition- times existed an alcove, a small space ally, the Portuguese slept on estrados large enough for a smaller bedstead (daises), chests or even on the floor on and separated by plain curtains. straw mats. A “bed” consisted of a mattress, As regards hygiene, the room catered for all bodily needs, the most sheets, blankets, bedspread and pillow cases. The canopy – flat or pavilionshaped – with its respective frame, 70 RIGHT Bedspread. Detail. Castelo Branco. 18th century. Linen and silk thread. Portugal. Length 208 x Width 138 cm. Inv. 360 MB. 71 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR Slave and Servants’ Quarters 72 73 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Slave and Servants’ Quarters Work “We may be black, but we are people and we still have souls” (Roland, “Adágios” José Inácio Peixoto refers to the slave- (Adages), 1780) owning associated with the Casa dos Biscainhos in 1756: “... only there was one aware of the embargo, Martinho Pereira went out with his son and Descending from the main floor to the soldier, several servants and slaves ground floor, to the right is located a belonging to himself and the Dean ...”42 room that refers to the presence of Slave-owning was a feature of life at black slaves in Portuguese everyday various levels of society, the aristoc- life, the first of which arrived from the racy, bourgeoisie and even among African colonies in 1441. farmers, during the ancien régime. According to Leite de Vasconcelos,40 Slaves were put to work in the home, on people entered the mother country farms and in animal herding, represent- from almost all the Portuguese ing a symbol of the economic power of colonies. In the mid-16th century (1554), the upper classes. a survey indicated that 10% of Lisbon’s It should be noted that Portugal was population was black,41 that is, a slave one of the first countries to proclaim the or freedman, a figure that continued abolition of slavery in its home territo- to grow during the following centuries. ries in 1761 during the reign of D. José I.43 Although the numbers were greater in It is assumed that, in Portuguese the capital and the south, they could be society, slaves were treated in a similar found throughout the country. manner to servants, who among the In Braga, their presence was recorded, by way of an example, in nobility were termed “a família”, or “the family”. 1545 in the Índice dos Prazos das Casas do Cabido (Index of the Leases of the Houses in the Chapter), where reference is made to one Ana Teixeira, a female slave. Black slaves took part in the city’s many public feasts during the 18th century. 74 RIGHT Azulejo (tile) panel in the Great Hall. Scene depicting a nobleman presumably accompanied by a slave. P.M.P. (attrib.). Portugal. 18th century (1st quarter). Height 167 x Length 255 cm (whole panel). 75 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR Stables 76 77 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Stables Tradition In Portugal, horseriding was traditionally a popular pastime among the nobility. When, in 1761, the Colégio Real dos Nobres (Royal College for the Nobility) were established by the Marquis of Despite its functional character, the Pombal, horseriding alongside fencing Stables exhibit some interesting became the sport of the establishment. decorative ironwork. The room for five The systematic penchant of the horses is divided into wooden stalls Portuguese monarchs for the art of which exhibit decoration in the upper- horsemanship is well known. most section, of which the iron horses Seigneurial houses would customar- heads stand out. Containers for straw, ily have had horses, mules, donkeys in the form of metal baskets, can also and even bulls for transport. be seen suspended from the wall. The Stables are located on the The stables are jointly lit by a window ground floor at the end of the corridor and a glazed carriage door, the latter on the left, just ahead of the door into providing a direct route to the exterior. the garden. It is a 19th century adapta- On display can be seen a horse-drawn tion, a period when horses were still the carriage from the 19th century and, sus- principal means of transport. pended from the walls, leather halters. RIGHT Stables. 19th century. Partial view. 78 79 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR Kitchen 80 81 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Kitchen Ancestry and Refinement “Egg slices. Mix a dozen eggs with twelve ounces of flour, one pound of finely ground almonds, one pound of well sieved rock sugar, one spoonful of cow’s butter, flower water mixed with rose water ...” LEFT Partial view of the kitchen with table and tank at the back. Thus wrote Domingos Rodrigues, King the water essential for the multiple The iron spits for roasting meat over D. Pedro II’s head chef, in his work “Arte functions of the room, and three others an open fire can also be seen, as well de Cozinha devidida em tres partes” set into the stone flooring slabs and as different mortars and pestles for (The Art of Cooking divided into three also used to supply water. the necessary grinding of ingredients, parts), printed in 1693 at the workshop of Manuel Lopes Ferreira de Lisboa 44 and successively re-published in follow- cloves and cinnamon, among others. The diet of the average nobleman around the cupboards, hanging from extremely varied, including all the cainhos is a functional structure dating the walls and chimney around the types of meat we eat today plus game, from the first half of the 18th century central fire and includes kettles, pans, very popular at the time and directly and recorded in the “Mappa da Cidade pots, saucepans, tiffin boxes, casserole hunted by lords and servants, namely de Braga Primas” (Map of the City of dishes, chocolate pots, all of huge size, partridge, thrush, turtle dove, wild Braga Primas). given that it was necessary to feed the boar, deer, stag and fallow deer, among many people who lived in the house, others. Seafood and fish were reserved large chimney inserted into which are the lords, family and guests, and the for fasting days and Lent. The varied two wall ovens, a built-in cupboard servants and slaves who worked in the species consumed include sole, hake, incorporating old iron shelves and a house and helped on the farm. gurnard, conger eel, mackerel, sword- Inside can be seen the arch of the drainage hole at the bottom. The remaining area includes a tank with a granite gargoyle from which ran 82 wooden doors. in the 17th and 18th centuries was The kitchen of the Museu dos Bis- Canteen. Portugal. 17th century (1st half). Blue painted earthenware. Height 41.5 Ø (base) 14.5 cm. Inv. 322 MB are two more built-in cupboards with which included spices such as pepper, The copper kitchenware is spread ing centuries. 45 ABOVE On the facing walls as you enter fish, tuna, lamprey, salmon, red mullet and, for the common man, predominantly salted cod and sardines. 46 83 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS LEFT Tank with gargoyle. RIGHT Built-in cupboard with copper kitchenware. the tastiest and sweetest delicacies, competing against each other, giving rise to a whole new industry. Many of the sweets that now make up current Portuguese cuisine were conceived or developed in the monastic Meals consisted of thick soups, 47 kitchens of the Baroque era and their broths, 48 roasts, stews, pies and boiled names testify to their origins, of which food, in simple and complex variants, papos de anjo (angel pouches), beijos with meat as the staple food accom- e barrigas de freira (nun’s kisses and panied by bread, prepared in various nun’s bellies), toucinho-do-céu (heav- ways, and rice and potatoes from enly lard) and manjar celeste (celestial the second half of the 18th century. 49 titbit) are an example. Various vegetables from the kitchen Domingos Rodrigues’s work takes garden, 50 eggs, cream and cheese us into an unexpected world of refined completed the aristocrat’s diet. cooking and gives us an insight into the It should be noted that during the pe- history of Portuguese gastronomy. riod in question, convents became home to sizeable numbers of aristocratic women, who took with them their respective families’ sweet-making traditions. Sweet-making underwent notable expansion due to the dedication of the nuns, resulting in the different monasteries, each of which wanting to make 84 85 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Gardens 86 87 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Gardens Light, Beauty and Spectacle “The Garden encapsulates a profound need within the human spirit to create a paradise on Earth.” 51 ABOVE Formal Garden. View of the west facade of the Museum. former times, there would have been a constant movement of foot servants, horses and carriages here, as the four ABOVE Formal Garden. Eastern Gate. Manuel Fernandes da Silva (attrib.). 18th century. According to Carolina Micaelis, the The Gardens are arranged east to carriage doors on the ground floor word “garden” is originally from the west on three levels or landings like an equipped with wide ramps document French, from which it passed into the architectural garden – the Terrace and the coming and going of animals and Portuguese language in the 14th or 15th Formal Garden, Orchard and Kitchen vehicles. From here you could reach facade provide the area with another century through the expression “Jardin Garden, all in sequence – the whole of the access lane to the old gate, located purpose, that of leisure space. Potagère”, meaning pleasure garden. which is finished off with walls sugges- slightly below where it stands today. As mentioned earlier, the “Mappa da tive of a 17th century fortress. To the left, a row of magnolias cre- The Eastern Gate, which rises up on twin pilasters and has pyramidal Cidade de Braga Primas” (Map of the The central axis of the building ates a green curtain that shields the pinnacles surmounted by spheres, City of Braga Primas) defines the Bis- and gardens starts at the door on the garden from outside eyes, while to provides access to the Formal Garden cainhos Gardens as a Formal Garden east-facing facade, passes through the right stands the structure of the from the terrace. and remaining areas, providing us with the centre of this wing and into the ground floor kitchen, perpendicular to details about the original dimensions interior of the building, exits onto the the facade, in functional proximity to enclosure whose rococo style indicates and confirming the year it was created. terrace and extends to the end of the the garden to aid the necessary daily that it was built at a later date than the kitchen garden. deliveries of produce from the kitchen original garden layout. It is bordered garden and orchard to feed the inhabit- by flowerbeds, with urns on pilasters in ants and workers of the house. the centre that are lined internally with The Gardens, facing onto the rear of the building, were presumably laid Along the side of the property are out during the major expansion and a cane plantation and a pigeon house, enhancement work carried out on the and a lane lined with orange trees that house by the architect Manuel Fern- extends up to Rua dos Biscainhos. andes da Silva in the second decade of the 18th century. 88 The terrace, rectangular in shape, The terrace contains a fountain with The Formal Garden is a rectangular groups of 17th century azulejos (tiles), an undulating elliptical basin in the and defines a double axis of paths, Baroque style with a central sculpture, east/west and north/south, corre- sits between the rear facade of the congaing water spouts, of four Atlas house and the formal garden. In children. Stone benches abutting the 89 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS LEFT Terrace. View of the foun‑ tain. 18th century. ABOVE Formal Garden. Aerial view. 18th century. Where the four corners meet, there are small basins with sculptural motifs sponding respectively to the open- cal garden of beds of beautiful and of children (putti) mounted on lions ABOVE ing of two impressive gates and two perfumed flowers, like age-old roses, and eagles. Formal Garden. Western Gate. 18th century. belvederes topped by pinnacles and pansies, cloves and daisies. furnished with small benches. Still in the Formal Garden, there In an anonymous manuscript from are two monumental summer houses, the 17th century, “Tenções das Cores, hedged with camellias, sheltering two to their importance in the Portuguese Garden rise up to the centre in shell-like das Flores, das Hervas, das Árvores, of the said small moulded tanks. garden, in the context of the Moorish and swirling movements in a rocaille dos Fruitos e Significação dos Adu- style of great beauty. bos”, 52 (The Design of Colours, Flowers, sides, is finished off at the top by two prized, not only for its fruit, but also for the perfume of its flowers. The angular walls of the Formal The Western Gate, with undulating influence when this tree was highly At the western corners, to the left, Herbs, Trees, Fruit and Significance sculptures of children (angels?) playing is a belvedere overlooking the Orchard, of Fertiliser), listed are flowers such shawms, announcing the visitor’s pres- with a sculpture of the mythological as the rose, carnation (yellow, mixed ence in the garden with an ostentation hundred and fifty year old tree, a tulip figure of Grace and, to the right, a and white), viola (pansies?), jasmin, typical of the period. It connects the tree from Virginia, whose age confirms pavilion with an azulejo (tile) covered broom, wallflower (yellow and purple), Formal Garden to the Orchard via a the antiquity of the Gardens. At the dome, topped by a ¾ size warrior, marigold, lily (yellow and sky blue), broad half moon staircase. time, it was considered an exotic plant helmeted and frozen in the gesture of trumpet daffodil, daisy, poppy, hyacinth (un)sheathing his sword. and narcisus. This section contains a maze with box hedges, delineating a geometri- 90 The Orchard and the Kitchen Gar- The Orchard includes a nearly two and was highly prized by the Portu- den, situated at two different levels, guese nobility. Two other examples of have been organised, since the begin- this species are also known, equally as symmetrical spokes that converge at ning, in areas compartmentalised by old and connected to Baroque period the centre in a circular leisure area with box hedgerows, in the Roman manner. buildings, one at the Casa do Pas- stone benches, surrounding a tank with Located in these are the fruit trees, sadiço, in Braga, and the other at the a sculpture of four Tritons riding dol- such as the orange trees, walnut trees, Palácio do Freixo, in Oporto. phins and a raised waterfall of foliage apple trees, fig trees and pear trees, In a poem by Sóror Maria do Céu, and undulating shell shapes, rococo among others. Currently, the orange who lived in the 17th century, “Cântico style, from which water descends. trees are the main survivors, attesting do Senhor pelas Frutas” (The Lord’s The main paths are organised like 91 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS RIGHT Grace. Sculpture. Granite. Portugal (Braga ?). 18th century. OPPOSITE PAGE Gardens. Partial view. Focus on the 18th century tulip tree. Hymn to Fruit),53 ,there are references to pinnacles, doors and windows. On the fruit such as apples, mulberries, plums, inside, a shrine abuts the central part morellos, cherries, grapes, oranges, figs, of the enclosure, containing a portico pears, melons, hazelnuts and dates. with columns and a pediment, and is The Kitchen Garden would have surmounted by an azulejo (tile) covered corresponded to the final level and was dome 55 topped with a small lantern and where vegetables for consumption urn. 56 In the centre of the enclosure were grown, as well as medicinal and organised by the walls and flowerbeds aromatic plants. stands a polygonal shaped basin from In “Arte de Cozinha” (Art of Cooking), recipes are given for turnip, whose centre water gently spouts. Commenting on a party in the gar- esparagus, lettuce, onions, carrots, dens of the Count of Pombeiro, in Be- cabbages, among many other legumes las, William Beckford wrote: “The house and vegetables. “Tenções…”54 also re- and flower-filled gardens are concealed fers to leeks, cucumbers, purslane and in the midst of a wood of large trees, spinach, so we can presume that these orange trees and huge myrtles. In the vegetables would also have been grown thickets there were orchestras and in the Portuguese kitchen garden at the brilliant pavilions, all illuminated, their respective times of the year. in the midst of the heavy darkness of The Gardens come to an end in the the foliage, were like magical buildings. west beside the aforementioned po- The guests of the Count of Pombeiro, lygonal shaped walls with battlements, whose party began before dusk, only reminiscent of a 17th century fortress, left at six o’clock in the morning.”57 58 which incorporate watchtowers and 92 93 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Notes and Bibliography 94 95 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Notes 1 See VASCONCELOS, Maria da Assunção Jácome de – “O Livro do Mapa das Ruas de Braga de 1750”, Braga Revisitada. 1750. Mapa das Ruas de Braga 1750-2000. Published by the Museu dos Biscainhos/IMC and A.D.B/UM, Braga, December 2000, p. 10. 2 See the following works: PEIXOTO, José Inácio – Memórias Particulares. ADB. 1992 and FERNANDES, Maria Manuela Campos Milheiro – A Cidade e a Festa no Século XVIII, published by Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Vol. I, Braga, 1997, p. 15. 3 Rua dos Biscainhos owes its name to the presence of artisans from Biscay who, in the 16th century, were hired by the great Archbishop D. Diogo de Sousa for the work to revitalise the city. They and their families settled in this street and, later, when the building was constructed, it was named after it presumably because it was the most important house on it. 4 See GAYO, Felgueiras – Mobiliário das Famílias de Portugal, Tome V, published by Agostinho de Azevedo and Domingos de Araújo Afonso, Braga, 1938, p. 47. 5 See PEIXOTO, op. cit., pp.15-16. 6 Idem, ibidem. 7 Although a contract relating to the house exists in the Arquivo Distrital de Braga, dating from 1698 and signed by another of the associate judge’s sons, Diogo de Sousa e Silva do Lago, with Domingos Fernandes, a stonemason, it does not identify to which part of the building it refers. See Arquivo Distrital de Braga – GENERAL NOTES, no. 481, “Contrato da obra de pedraria de Diogo de Souza da Sylva com D.os Fr.ez, mestre pedrº”, 1st August 1698, pp. 107-108. 8 Arquivo Distrital de Braga 96 – GENERAL NOTES, Series 1, no. 542, “Contrato de obra de pedraria do Rº D. Francº Prª da Silva Deam nesta Santa Sé com Manuel Fernandes da Silva, mestre pedrº desta cidade”, 26th November 1712, pp. 103-104. 9 See ROCHA, op. cit., pp. 168-172. 10 The successor to the former Junta de Província (Provincial Council). 11 The historian Robert C. Smith dated these two sculptures to the second half of the 18th century. See op. cit. “The Art of Portugal 1500-1800”, p. 190, photo. 141. 12 “A bufete is a table made of worked precious wood with metal embellishments.” See FONSECA, Jorge – “O Interior Doméstico em Montemor-o-Novo no século XVII”, Almansor. Revista de Cultura. C.M. de Montemor-o-Novo, issue 9, 1991, p. 180. 13 By José Meco on a visit to the museum. 14 See MELLO, Magno Moraes – “Manuel Furtado e a pintura de tectos joaninos em Braga”, Minia. ASPA, Series 3, Year III, 1995, pp. 157-188. 15 See MELLO, Magno Moraes – A Pintura de Tectos em Perspectiva no Portugal de D. João V, Teoria da Arte Collection, Editorial Estampa, 1998, pp.173-180. 16 See ATAÍDE, Luís Bernardo Leite – “A Casa Morgadia”, Etnografia, Arte e Vida Antiga dos Açores, Biblioteca Geral da Universidade, Coimbra, 1973, Vol. I, p. 217. 17 Orientalizing motifs. 18 See ALARCÃO, Teresa; CARVALHO, José Alberto Seabra de – Imagens em Paramentos Bordados (Séculos XIV a XVI), Instituto dos Museus e da Conservação, 1st edition, 1993, pp. 184-191. 19 LOPES, Maria Antónia – As mulheres, espaço e sociabilidade … Livros Horizonte, 1989, p. 38. 20 Within the context of an inventory of the property of a house in the Azores, dated 1808, which describes the different rooms, reference is made to a “Caza do Estrado” (Estrado Room). See Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira – O Solar de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Canto e Castro.) 1755. Angra do Heroísmo, 1996, pp. 30, 35-36. 21 And probably north Africa. See FONSECA, Jorge – “Tapetes de Arraiolos. Novos elementos para a sua história”, Almansor, Revista de Cultura, published by the Câmara Municipal de Montemor-oNovo, issue 13, 1995-1996, p.117 22 “The first reference to a carpet made in the town appears in 1598 in the inventory of Catarina Rodrigues, the wife of João Lourenço, a farmer and resident at the Bolelos estate, Arraiolos: ‘a new locally-made carpet valued at two thousand reis.’” FONSECA, Jorge, op.cit., p. 114. 23 VASCONCELOS, Flórido de, Estuques Decorativos do Norte de Portugal, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Centro Regional de Artes Tradicionais, Oporto, 1991, print no. 9. 24 A card game much enjoyed by the Marquis of Pombal, Chief Minister to King D. José I. See GORANI, Giuseppe – Portugal. A Corte e o País nos anos de 1765 a 1767. Lisóptima Edições, Lisbon, 1989, p. 96. 25 RUDERS, Carl Israel – Viagem em Portugal. 1798 – 1802, Lisbon, Biblioteca Nacional, 1981, p. 174. 26 From China and whose trade with Europe was initially mono+polised by the Portuguese. See Bebidas (As) Exóticas e as Artes Decorativas…, C.M. Oporto, Casa Museu Guerra Junqueiro, Fundação Oriente, 2002, p. 10. 27 BECKFORD, W. – Diário de William Beckford, Lisbon, Em- presa Nacional de Publicidade, 1957, p. 69. 28 “Translator’s note: due to the difficulty of discovering the original reference, this quotation has been translated from the Portuguese work cited in the end notes. 29 “This word of French origin designated a ... room dedicated to the intellectual work, entertaining and spiritual rest of its owner.” FONSECA, Jorge – Um Nobre Alentejano do século XVIII e a sua casa…, op. cit., p. 232. 30 See PEIXOTO, José Inácio, op.cit., p. 150. 31 “Under Spanish rule (15811640), furniture reflected the dominant Mannerist style in great similarity to pieces from that country (frequently being described as Filipino furniture).” SOUSA, M. Conceição Borges de, op. cit., p. 26. 32 In the work by MADUREIRA, Nuno Luís – Lisboa: 1740-1830, cidade, espaço e quotidiano, Livros Horizonte, Lisbon, 1992, reference is made to a room by the name of “‘dining room’ in the plan for the building that is to be built in Rua Formosa, 12th January 1772.” See SOUSA, M. da Conceição Borges de, op. cit., p. 33. 33 This could explain the modern day expressions of ‘to set’ and ‘to clear’ the table that we use everyday without actually moving it from its place. 34 See SOUSA, Gonçalo de Vasconcelos e – Artes da Mesa em Portugal: do Século XVIII ao Século XXI, op. cit., p. 32. 35 Raphael Bluteau: “Sea fish, dogfish, with very coarse skin ... that is what they use to cover boxes and make cutlery sets.” SOUSA, Maria da Conceição Borges de, op. cit., p. 34. 36 See COSTIGAN, A. William – Cartas sobre a Sociedade e os Costumes de Portugal. 1778-1779 (Original title: Sketches of Society and Manners in Portugal). Lisbon, Lisóptima Edições, 1989, Vol. 1, p.34. 37 Translator’s note: due to the difficulty of discovering the original reference, this quotation has been translated from the Portuguese work cited in the end notes. 38 BECKFORD, William – Diário de William Beckford. Lisbon, Empresa Nacional de Publicidade, 1957, p. 105. 39 Translator’s note: due to the difficulty of discovering the original reference, this quotation has been translated from the Portuguese work cited in the end notes. 40 Op. cit., p. 38. 41 See BRÁSIO, António – Os Pretos em Portugal. Agência Geral das Colónias. Lisbon, 1944, p. 14. 42 See PEIXOTO, op. cit., p. 32. 43 At the heart of this decision lay economic interests, i.e., the channeling of slaves to Brazil to work on the farms. Slavery was only abolished throughout the Portuguese Empire in 1836 by government decree. 44 RODRIGUES, Domingos – Arte de Cozinha, Officina de Manoel Lopes, Lisbon, 1693. 45 Other cook books were also published in the 18th century: RIGAUD, Lucas – Cozinheiro Moderno ou Nova Arte de Cozinha. Lisbon, Simão Tadeu Ferreira, 1798, and Arte Nova e Curiosa para Conserveiros, Confeiteiros e Copeiros… Printed at the workshop of José Aquino Bulhões, Lisbon, 1788. 46 See SANTOS, Piedade Braga, RODRIGUES, Teresa S., NOGUEIRA, Margarida Sá – Lisboa Setecentista vista por Estrangeiros… , p. 53. 47 With vegetables or cooked greens of some sort. 48 Rich with vegetables and meat. 49 “Rice and potatoes would also have been introduced during this period, though late – second half of the 18th century. However, it was only in the following century that these two crops witnessed the expansion that would give them a fundamental place within Portuguese agriculture.” See MATTOSO, op. cit, p.78. 50 In Arte de Cozinha, there are recipes for turnip, asparagus, lettuce, onion, carrot, and cabbage, among many other legumes and vegetables. Also see the 17th century manuscript Tenções das Cores, das Flores, das Hervas, das Árvores, dos Fruitos e Significação dos Adubos, which refers to leeks, cucumbers, purslane, spinach, along others. SERRÃO, Vítor, op. cit., p. 248. 51 CARITA, Hélder; CARDOSO, Homem – Tratado da Grandeza dos Jardins em Portugal…” Edição dos Autores, 1987, p. 15. 52 National Library, Proza Varia. Code F/3656, leaves 53-54. Communiqué from Dr. Miguel Faria, SERRÃO, Vítor, op. cit., p. 248. 53 See HATHERLY, Ana – “As Misteriosas Portas da Ilusão. A Propósito do Imaginário Piedoso em Sóror Maria do Céu e Josefa d’Óbidos”, SERRÃO, Vítor, op. cit., pp. 73-74. 54 The 17th century manuscript mentioned above “Tenções das Cores…” SERRÃO, Vítor, op. cit., p. 248 55 Broken up groups of azulejos, presumably from elsewhere. 56 The urn that sits atop the construction probably dates from the second half of the seventeen hundreds as it is typical of the neoclassical period. 57 BECKFORD, op. cit., pp. 223-224. 58 Translator’s note: due to the difficulty of discovering the original reference, this quotation has been translated from the Portuguese work cited in the end notes. 97 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS Bibliography IMPRESSA ARAÚJO, Ilídio de – Arte Paisagista e Arte dos Jardins em Portugal, Lisboa, Ministério das Obras Públicas, 1962. ARAÚJO, Ilídio de – “Quintas de recreio: breve introdução ao seu estudo...” in Bracara Augusta, Braga, 27 (63), 1973, pp. 321-331. Sep. 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Cerca de 1755. 99 MUSEU DOS BISCAINHOS 1ST FLOOR LOBBY SLAVE AND SERVANTS’ QUARTERS STABLES KITCHEN RECEPTION AND SHOP TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS 1 TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS 2 GARDENS 2ND FLOOR STAIRCASE ENTRANCE HALL GREAT HALL ORATORY DAIS ROOM MUSIC AND GAMES ROOM OFFICE DINING ROOM CLOISTER PRIVATE CHAMBERS PRIVATE CHAMBERS PRIVATE CHAMBERS EDUCATION SERVICE 100