Octagonal latticework ceiling

Saturdays at 12.00 a.m.

Dra Gloria Aljazairi López
In the talk on the Piece of the Month for January in the Museum of the Alhambra, we will be discussing some of the technical/construction aspects of woodwork of Hispano-Muslim origin. The protection of our heritage requires the recovery and updating of the traditional artistic techniques and tools used in the execution of fine woodwork pieces, their restoration and conservation.
There is an important geometric and modular background to these wooden structures and their decoration. Applying the rules of draughtsmanship, we will discover that these ceilings were designed using set squares and a modular system, on which the whole construction process is based. In short this presentation explains how to create the apparently complex decoration and proportions in this piece with some simple craft techniques.
This octagonal ceiling with assembled latticework patterns from the Museum of the Alhambra (ref. R 6.806) will be used as an example to help understand how these structures were made.
The ceiling would have covered a small rectangular space. It developed a more simple design based on an eight-sided wheel with a series of ribbons laid out in a whimsical continuity that adapts the wheel to the ceiling panels.

The talk on Saturday 30th January will be transmitted live on the Periscope application for smartphones and tablets
Time: Saturdays at 12.00 a.m.
Place: Room VII, Museum of the Alhambra, Palace of Charles V