Recently on my trip to Melbourne I saw a large pair of Blackamoor Torchieres which jogged my memory of a couple of sets of Nubians we have at home...
Above: A pair of Nubian candleholders and a dish holder that Peter brought back from an antique market in Munich. Below: A pair of Nubian book ends I found in the Cotswolds.
In the 18th and 19th centuries there were certain vogues for Blackamoors in decoration which have found recent revivals...
Statuettes...
Jewellery...
Busts...
Clocks...
Candelabra and Torchieres...
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and Sconces...
The Moor in Art
We have a copy of this painting at home:
It is a depiction of the revolt of Cairo on 21 October 1798, painted by Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson. The revolt was an uprising of Egyptians against Napoleon's forces, which ultimately ended with the wholesale slaughter of many Egyptians inside a large mosque upon Napoleon's revenge.
I love the obviously over romanticized elements of the painting especially the somewhat disrobed figure of either a servant protecting his master, or perhaps the equivalent of fidus Achates protecting Anaeus...
more paintings of Moors...
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A friend has dozens of pairs in her house, I never tire of them.
ReplyDeleteMuch younger, I did not know what they were & said 'no' to a pair of quite old Venetian glass Blackamoors. Oh what ignorance !
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
Great post! I have a fondness for Blackamoors, and one of my most-treasured possession is a pair of hand-colored etchings of noble African warriers. A friend of mine, of African descent, once told me he found them offensive, much to my surprise. As in any art, of course some depictions of subjects may be offensive (and meant to be) or tacky (often inadvertently). Quality will always trump mediocrity and is to be strived for. I must admit, if I were a woman I would not be satisfied until I owned a be-turboned Blackamoor pin, preferably from one of the great jewelers, similar to the one you feature here. Thanks! Reggie
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