Técnicas y motivos decorativos en la azulejería medieval y moderna en la Alhambra

Abstract

García Porras, A., & Busto Zapico, M. (2022). Técnicas y motivos decorativos en la azulejería medieval y moderna en la Alhambra. En M. E. Díez Jorge (Ed.), Hecha de barro y vestida de color: Cerámica arquitectónica en la Alhambra (Vol. I, 215-233). Granada: Patronato de La Alhambra y Generalife. One of the artistic aspects for which the Alhambra stands out is undoubtedly the decoration of its walls. It has long been noted that from a structural point of view the palaces were built with simple materials and techniques. It is common for their walls to be built of stone (masonry), brick or earth mixed with lime (tapial). However, the covering of these walls did give the builders of the Alhambra creative freedom. The internal walls of the various rooms of the Alhambra are profusely decorated with glazed ceramic pieces in plinths or plasterwork of different types on them. There is also no shortage of ceramic flooring or the application of decorated ceramic pieces on steps or, less frequently, on ceilings and roofs.

The aim of this work is to carry out a preliminary study of the techniques and decorative motifs of the materials in the Museum's collection, distinguishing the different groups of ceramic pieces used as wall and floor coverings from the Nasrid period, when the first ceramic tile collections are documented, to the modern period. This chapter, therefore, should be understood as an initial, concise analysis, as the volume of material housed in the Museum is extraordinarily large, and the institution and researchers are strongly encouraged to promote and undertake detailed analyses of these materials, as they are of great interest.