Fraiman: The magnificent ceiling above your head is a truly special object.

Narrator: That’s curator Jeffrey Fraiman.

Fraiman: The ceiling comes from a palace that belonged to a very important couple who were extremely close to the Spanish royal family.

Narrator: In the 1490s, the Cárdenas family built a palace just outside the Spanish capital of Toledo. Their golden ceiling has elements that reflect both their own Catholic, aristocratic background and Muslim traditions.

Family shields appear at the center of each wall panel, featuring little gold shells that continue as a border all around the ceiling. They symbolize Christ’s follower St James, who was a fisherman. Meanwhile, the ceiling’s interlocking geometric patterns are directly drawn from Islamic design. And the beautiful, ridged fan shapes at each corner resemble shells too. But they also recall the honeycomb niches of Islamic interiors.

The Spanish monarchs who governed the northern Iberian Peninsula spent centuries trying to gain control of the south from its Muslim rulers. And in 1492, right around the time this ceiling was made, the Spanish army brutally drove out the last Muslim ruler. Many Muslims were killed or expelled from the country. Those who stayed were forcibly converted to Catholicism.

The whole of Spain and its different peoples were now under the Spanish monarchs’ control. And evidently, their courtiers’ love of Islamic design was too deeply rooted to be given up.

Poet and former museum teacher devorah major:

Major: This is a very short poem that I wrote when I was teaching in the galleries. 

15th century ceiling:

lost history suspended

reflecting family, faith, reflecting family, faith

allah intertwined with christ, allah intertwined with christ

golden arcs swirl wealth, power 

lost history suspended.