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The Tortoise Shell Chest

The Tortoise Shell Chest was donated to the Catholic University of America by Monsignor James Magner in July of 1998. Monsignor Magner was a priest at CUA, originally from Wilmington, Illinois. Monsignor Magner took pride in traveling the world and getting to know other cultures and ways of life around the world. Through his travels, Magner grew a collection of pre-Colombian artifacts from all over South America. In addition to his expeditions to South America, he also traveled all over Europe during the 1960s primarily traveling by plane. As this means of transportation was not particularly common during this decade, Magner further substantiated his love for travel and exemplified his adventurous spirit. In addition to Europe, Magner traveled throughout the Soviet Union and its satellite nations during a time when the Iron Curtain was strongly intact. He traveled through nations such as Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia during the Cold War era, which also was extremely risky for him, given their disdain for Westerners (especially towards Americans) at this time. The sheer range of his expeditions, in tandem with the substantial risks he overcame in conducting his travels, further proves Manger’s commitment to appreciating foreign cultures and connecting with unique and diverse people. Magner summarizes his worldwide expeditions by explaining to people that “the world is his parish.” In this sense, Manger aimed to immerse himself with other cultures around the globe in an effort to connect with diverse groups of people, showing that human connection is inherently valuable and can be achieved with people stemming from any nation or ideological framework through the grace of God. Magner later donated his collection to The Catholic University of America in 1998, after passing away in December of 1994. The Magner collection contains art, furniture, books, and other artifacts from all over the world, with a large share of them stemming from pre-Colombian Mexico. Today, Catholic University of America celebrates Monsignor Magner donations by naming a freshman dorm in his honor, where 60 graduate students, including both men and women, live every year.



Included in the Magner collection is the Tortoise Shell Chest, which I was lucky enough to pick as my object to research. Although the woodworker or creator of the chest of drawers is unknown, we do know that the Tortoise Shell Chest stems from Spanish origin between 1550-1600 AD, evident through the unique styles and extensive details on the chest, which directly stem from Spanish culture of the time.

While in class we mostly have focused our studies on the Renaissance in Italy and northern European countries, the Spanish renaissance was also an important artistic movement that began in 1492, deriving from the Italian renaissance that started in 1420. As Spain’s economy flourished throughout the 1500s, so did the nation’s quest for expansion of land. The empire, led by Queen Isabelle I, had won territory extending from Spain all the way to the Philippines. By 1525, Spain had even taken overrule of most of Mexico from the indigenous Aztec empire, going as far south as Honduras and Guatemala. This expansion of land led Mexico to go by the name of New Spain, where the capital of the country lay in what's now known as Mexico City. This economic flourishment and land expansion had paved the way for Spain to become a new hotspot for the renaissance.

Queen Isabelle I and King Ferdinand had a tremendous influence and impact on the Spanish renaissance, as part of their mission as the rulers of Spain was to unify the people of Spain through conversion to Catholicism. Many of the artworks from this period depict the scenes of this transformation. Under Queen Isabelle, paintings or drawings that did not coincide with the teaching of Catholicism would be considered heretic. This time period is more commonly known as the inquisition, or when the Catholic Church set out to punish and root out those who spread heresies throughout Europe and in the newly found Americas. Spain became famously known for the inquisition, as it was one of the worst eras regarding the mistreatment of minority groups such as people of the Jewish and Muslim faith. The Spanish empire brutally slaughtered over 32,000 people. There is a collection at the National Gallery of Art called the Sacred Made Real, which essentially is a collection of paintings and sculptures from 17th century Spain that depict savagely gruesome and bloody sculptures and paintings of Christ dying on the cross. Spanish artists and sculptors at this time were trying to emulate Catholic values and counteract the rise of the Protestant faith in Europe. While these paintings were produced in the 17th century, they illustrate the impact the inquisition had on renaissance art through the goriness of the art and sculptures. According to the National Gallery of Art, sculptors and painters worked collaboratively and were taught the style of polychroming as a part of their training throughout this time period. Polychroming is a technique that introduces decorating techniques with varieties of colors on top of architectural and wooden sculptures centered around sacredly honoring Jesus Christ along with other prominent biblical figures central to the Catholic faith.



On a more positive note, Spain is widely known for its beautiful architecture in buildings such as the Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba and the Salamanca Cathedral that included Spanish renaissance styles and techniques such as plateresque and Moorish designs. Spanish artists like El Grecco and Diego de Siloe also became worldly renowned to this day for paintings and architectural works such as the Adoration of the Magi (Grecco. 1565-1567) and the Escalera Granada Cathedral (Diego de Siloe.) Diego de Siloe was also known for developing a famous technique, Plateresque, or a style that mixed techniques from the Italian renaissance, Gothic features as well as Spanish-Muslim elements. Plateresque became a trendy style that defined Spanish art during the renaissance. It has even coined two different types of styles to tell if a painting is from a certain period. The first style is known as Isabellian style, or the gothic-plateresque, which can be distinguished from the second style, which is called Renaissance style, using Moorish elements, or the combination of Muslim-Spanish artistic elements. Moorish style and technique are notable through the recurring use of horseshoes, arches, and vaults.



In addition to this plateresque, Moorish designs were extremely popular throughout Spain in the 15th century. The term Moorish is derived from the word Mauers, referring to an ethnic group who, in around 700 AD, had come from Northern Africa (Morocco) and successfully conquered the Iberian Peninsula, resulting in their rise to power in what today is now Spain and Portugal. The Moors, overtime, had lost their power to the Christian conquerors and states. This period is referred to in history as the Reconquista, or the push to drive the Moorish people out of Spain. The city of Granada fell to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle in January of 1492, marking the end of the Moorish empire rule. In turn, the meaning of the word moors changed from esteemed and powerful rulers and conquerors into a derogatory insult toward anyone who was openly practicing the Islamic faith, and into an insult towards anyone who exhibited Moorish traits such as darker skin tones, as the Moorish empire slowly fizzled out due to the inquisition or persecution and murder of Jewish and Muslim people.

Despite the inquisition, Moorish designs still decorated buildings, cathedrals, and palaces all over Spain. For example, in Granada, the Alhambra palace, a fortress built in the 13th century still stands today. Moorish designs are a variant of Islamic designs that embody patterns, geometric shapes, calligraphy, and different types of rounded arches, tiling, and muqarnas. Muqarnas are a type of circular vaulted ceiling with intricately designed masonry that closely emulates the structure of a honeycomb. They became popular during the 12th century during Islam’s golden age, or a period of time where Muslims made notable steps forward in the fields of architecture, science, and mathematics. Moorish patterns are often either geometric, floral, or arabesque. Moorish geometric designs have several different subgroups that range either in girih, tessellations, quatrefoil, overlapping circles or zellige. Floral designs in many instances are botanical and have spiraling or whirling vines. In addition, Arabesque style is often the combination of both floral and even or symmetrical geometric designs.



So, what can the history of the Spanish renaissance tell us about the Tortoise Shell Chest? Well for one, we can assume that the Tortoise Shell Chest was most likely made in the later years of the 16th century, almost immediately after the Moorish empire was driven out of power. Although the chest has a mix of geometric patterns, floral, and arabesque carved throughout it, meaning that the chest could have been possibly made by a Moorish wood worker that had yet to be persecuted or had been forced into religious conversion. While we do not know what the exact purpose was of this elaborate chest with twenty-five drawers, including one larger square drawer located in its center, we can assume a few theories. First, the chest may have been used to serve as a secure chamber for the holy office of the Spanish inquisition. The chest with six envelope sized drawers on the top and bottom of the chest may have been used to hold important documents pertaining to Ferdinand's Tribunal. The second group of drawers surrounding the larger square drawer could have been utilized to hold money, gold, or coins. Finally, the center focal point of the chest, the larger square drawer in the center may have operated as a chamber to hold jewels, stones, jewelry, or even valuable figurines from the 15th century. It is possible that the chest could’ve also held raw materials from the new world, as at that time they may have been considered precious materials. Although not shown in the picture, at one point the Tortoise Shell Chest stood on 4 legs, which may signify the drawers could have been merely used at one point as an entryway table or decorative piece of furniture where someone may put their keys or keep a couple of books. In addition to the legs, the intricate and beautifully Moorish designs laid all over the chest also indicate that the piece could have been used as an ornate piece of decorum in an entryway within an important educational or governmental building.

While we have definite knowledge as to how the tortoise shell chest has reached the university’s archives, through the donation of Monsignor Magner, there is an apparent lack of reliable information regarding the chain of possession that this artifact has undergone since its creation in the late 16th century. Therefore, one must utilize the surrounding data to create a feasible argument as to how the piece has traversed over time. One factor to consider in creating an educated guess pertaining to the movement of this chest is the traveling patterns and buying tendencies of Monsignor Magner. More specifically, while Magner did travel to a plethora of different countries around the world, he spent a great deal of time in South and Central America. Additionally, with respect to his purchase behavior, Magner also developed a large collection of pre-Colombian artifacts during his time in these areas. The second factor to consider in determining the chain of possession of this tortoise shell chest is that we have definite knowledge that the piece originated from Spain during the 16th century. Thirdly, and most importantly, we must also consider the fact that Spain began to colonize lands in Mexico and several other Central American and Southern American lands during the early 16th century. In considering these facts, a feasible guess pertaining to the movement of this tortoise shell chest could be that the chest was brought from Spain into the Americas during their efforts to colonize these lands in the 16th century. As the chest remained in Central America over the years, it could possibly have changed ownership numerous times over the course of hundreds of years, most likely remaining in between the lower end of Central America and the upper end of South America. Therefore, as the Monsignor collected many of his artifacts from this region, there is a reasonable chance that the chain of events listed above led to Magner to acquire this tortoise shell chest, which eventually resulted in its position within the CUA Special Collections.

On a final note, when I began my research on the tortoise shell chest, I felt an immediate connection with the ornate object, as its design and historical background resonated with me. Earlier this year, a couple of friends and I booked a trip to Barcelona, Spain. While searching for places to stay in Spain, there were a lot of recurring features throughout the homes. In most of the kitchens and living rooms, I noticed intricate, colorful, and geometric shaped flooring that ran throughout the small apartment homes. I have now learned that these floorings are Moorish-inspired tiles. It is amazing that centuries later, modern interior designers are utilizing inspired design and style from the renaissance. Secondly, as someone who loves interior design and home decorum, I was enthused when I saw two wooden chests, a part of Catholic University’s special collections. Having moved around a lot as a child, I have gained an appreciation for the little things around my house that have followed us into our new homes. When I was younger, I may have overlooked the little things that filled my home, but as I got older, I began to realize the things that fill your home also have a story. Whether they have been passed on from your grandparents or given as wedding gifts from family members, the things that fill our homes always have a story and I believe that the Catholic University of America’s Tortoise Shell Chest is no exception to the rule.



By:Molly Paolino




Sources:

By. “University Libraries.” Whats Up, 7 June 2016, https://www.lib.cua.edu/wordpress/newsevents/7988/.


Catholic University of America, Special Collections, Tortoise Shell Object File


The Sacred Made Real, https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/the-sacred-made-real.html#slide_3.


History.com Editors. “Inquisition.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 17 Nov. 2017, https://www.history.com/topics/religion/inquisition.


The Sacred Made Real, https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/the-sacred-made-real.html#slide_3.


“Diego De Siloé.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Diego-de-Siloe.


“El Greco.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/El-Greco.


Moorish Patterns: Where They Originated and Why They ... https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/moorish-patterns-where-they-originated-and-why-they-endure-stsetivw-vs~85229804.


Jones, Johnathan. “No-One Expects the Spanish Inquisition.” The Guardian, 13 Oct. 2009, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2009/oct/13/spanish-inquisition-art.


Moorish Patterns: Where They Originated and Why They ... https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/moorish-patterns-where-they-originated-and-why-they-endure-stsetivw-vs~85229804.


National Geographic Society. “Moorish Architecture.” National Geographic Society, 9 Nov. 2012, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/moorish-art/.


National Geographic Society. “Moorish Architecture.” National Geographic Society, 9 Nov. 2012, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/moorish-art/.


The New World Collections of Duke Cosimo I De’Medici and Their Role in the Creation of a Kunst- and Wunderkammer in the Palazzo Vecchio.” Curiosity and Wonder from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment,





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