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• 1 2024-03-28T13:30:30-07:00 What does the Spanish Ceiling tell us about the early global world? 4 plain 2024-11-05T15:48:10-08:00 Vedanth Natarajan, Class of 2027, College of the Holy Cross
  
  
  The Spanish Ceiling tells a story of (not always peaceful) cultural and religious blending in Spain. In the region of Toledo during the 1000s,  Christian forces from northern Spain conquered the area's former Muslim rulers.  Despite the change in the faith of those who ruled the region, local art and architecture retained Muslim elements, in what became known as the Mudéjar style. Art in this style was often made by Muslims living in Christian-ruled kingdoms for Christian patrons in Spain. The Spanish Ceiling is an example of the Mudéjar style, and it shows a blend of heraldic symbols and floral imagery with the geometric ornament frequent in Islamic art. Most Mudéjar ceilings were built in cities where Muslims still lived in large numbers, notably the central and southern regions of Spain.
  
  The early global world was characterized by a blend of cultures and religions brought about by military conflict, trade routes, and the general interconnectedness of different regions. These themes are reflected in many different kinds of art and architecture produced during the medieval period.
• 1 2024-03-28T13:30:26-07:00 Who made the Spanish Ceiling? 3 plain 2024-04-23T10:41:50-07:00 Vedanth Natarajan, Class of 2027, College of the Holy Cross
  
  
  The Spanish Ceiling was commissioned, designed, and constructed by a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds. The individual who commissioned the Spanish Ceiling would have been a nobleman who had the financial means necessary to fund such a large project. The designers of the ceiling were architects with a strong background in geometry; they would have been familiar with the artistic and architectural traditions of the region. The actual construction required the largest number of people, as it was labor-intensive. Carpenters from North Africa were known to build ceilings like this one. As with many other alfarje ceilings, the woodworkers and painters responsible for decorating the ceiling could have been Muslims who opted to stay in the region after it came under Christian rule. These Muslim artists who were skilled in and inspired by Islamic ornament may have been hired by a Christian nobleman to create the unique fusion of architecture known as the Mudejar style. The Muslim artists who crafted the ceiling may have drawn inspiration from the same Islamic design motifs used by calligraphers for the Qu'ran.