I was wondering what to post today, the original plan had been to share something from last year but I am disliking the re-blog function so much I decided I really needed to do something original. But then the front door bell kept going and I was finding it impossible to concentrate. Thank goodness for Cee and her B&W challenge, inspiring me to take a look back into the archives. Just look what I discovered in January. Lots of arches and half circles for Cee.
You may recall some of these photographs of the loggia from my post earlier this year when I shared all on the Palácio da Galeria. It really is a beautiful structure, however what really caught my eye in my album was what else we did that day. On leaving the grandest house in Tavira, we had made our way to Tavira’s fascinating Islamic Art museum and a much older arch.
Not only had I until today totally forgotten about this Islamic arch, but also what is under it – the Tavira Vase. Now I admit the domes, arches and half-circles required for Cee’s challenge are a little difficult to see in the vase but Cee encourages us to be creative. So creative I am being with this extraordinary piece of art.
The vase dates from the Almoravid dynasty (11th century), possibly earlier and was discovered as its name suggests in Tavira. It is quite an amazing piece of sculpture, or as Jo’s husband’s say water feature!
Water would have been poured through the funnel, which would then run through a series of channels hidden within the vase interior before appearing out of some of the figurines to water the plant, probably a basil, that would have been planted in it. They suggest basil as that was once the plant of love, and the figurines on the vase depict a Berber wedding ceremony. Apparently grand houses would have had much larger versions in their gardens, I would have been delighted though just with this one.
