Inspired by Nasrid Design
In addition to holding the world’s most comprehensive collection of Islamic art and artefacts, the Khalili Collections also holds the most significant collection of Spanish Damascene metalwork by Zuloaga and other masters in Toledo. This allows for an unprecedented opportunity to see the nature and extent of the influence of one on the other.
Firstly, the sheer intricacy of Spanish damascening in itself mirrors that demonstrated by Nasrid artisans some five centuries before. The tradition of immaculate attention to detail and the flawless application of symmetry were most certainly continued by the damasceners.
Moreover, ornamental elements from Islamic art and particularly Nasrid art such as particular geometric (the eight-point star) and vegetal (ataurique) motifs are also to be found in abundance in works coming out of Eibar and Toledo.
Perhaps the most vivid connection is the appearance on so many of the damascene masterpieces of the Nasrid motto wa la ghaliba illa Allah ‘Only God is the Victorious’ in Arabic script, together with its official shield. Not only was this a nod to the Islamic tradition in Spanish history, but also an appreciation of the universal beauty of the Arabic calligraphic script. Whether or not the motivations were secular or spiritual is not known, but it certainly opens up an interesting narrative for discussion on interfaith relations in the history of Spain.