16th century azulejos excavated in Lisbon: a tile with arabesque designs found at Terraços do Carmo

Abstract

Counter to the notion that the production of azulejos in Portugal during the 16th century was scant, recent excavations are bringing to light shards that point to the opposite. The variety of fragments recovered from the ground will need many years of study to return a clear notion of what actually was produced at the time. In some instances, we come across particularly interesting cases, which are in a condition good enough to allow attribution based on previous research. A recent excavation at an area once part of the grounds of the ancient Convento do Carmo (Carmo Convent) recovered a large fragment that offers stylistically an immediate connection with less known productions of Antwerp. This paper includes the results of an analytical research of that fragment and discusses its provenance, significance and likely chronology.