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By the end of the 16th century, finger rings in reverse glass painting technique became increasingly popular in Europe. Often, they are used in the context of signet rings with the monogram together with the coat of arms of its beholder depicted on the glass bezel. The following paper concentrates on nine finger rings of this group. Instead of an actual coat of arms though, these finger rings carry the device V(G)MN or FGMN (for-get-me-not) accompanied by a depiction of little blue forget-me-not flowers as the coat of arms. By collecting and describing the so far existing material, the paper aims to contextualize the use and function of the finger rings with the symbol of the forget-me-not flower in the fields of love, friendship and faith. Furthermore, it links the symbol of the for-get-me-not on finger rings and the imperative power of the written letters V(G)MN or FGMN to its tradition in German literature and texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vital scenarios in the old Jewish quarter of Seville (Spain) in the 16th Century are analyzed. The objectives of this paper are first, to gather up a brief history of the property of some houses of Conversos (Jews who converted to Christianity in the face of the Inquisition); secondly, to study their layout and their construction relating them to emotions in architecture in a transversal way; thirdly, to make hypothetical plans and elevations (including some digital reconstructions); and, finally, to report their current state of preservation. For these purposes, documents have been consulted in Sevillian archives. To analyze these buildings, it was essential to consult the little-known texts called apeos, which were official documents drawn up by the master builders (alarifes) that the owners requested in order to know the conservation of the buildings. An innovative methodology of translating written descriptions into graphics has been developed. Likewise, among the characteristic spaces of the Sevillian houses, more singular ones, such as the reception courtyards, the main rooms, and the women's quarters, have been thoroughly analyzed. The alteration of the entrance of one of the houses due to the historical and emotional context and the importance of the women's quarters (as a religious and vital refuge) are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to shed new light on the work of the humanist and Jewish convert Paulus Weidner (1522–1585) by focusing on his use of postbiblical Jewish sources to defend, illustrate, and spread a non-confessional Christian faith both among Jews and among the divided Christians of the Habsburg Monarchy. As such, Weidner was a major figure of the Christian via media promoted at the Habsburg court in Vienna around the mid-16th century. Yet, he retained, at the same time, a profound originality, for his contribution was largely based on the Mishnah. Indeed, Weidner not only proposed Christian interpretations of the Talmud, which he argued could lead to Christian faith but also claimed that the Pirkei Avot could serve as a source of Christian ethics and, as such, ought be added to the Biblical and classical heritage promoted and revered by scholars of his time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paint materials and techniques of The Descent from Cross, a panel painting attributed to the Portuguese painter Francisco João (act. 1558–1595), were investigated with a combination of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared imaging and an analysis of paint samples with microscopic, spectroscopic, and chromatographic techniques. The colour palette is composed of lead white, lead–tin yellow, minium, vermilion, ochres of different colours, umber, smalt, azurite, verdigris, charcoal black, and a variety of different-coloured red lakes made of brazilwood and cochineal. An oil-based medium was identified. The characterisation of the pigment mixtures, paint build-up, and particular paint handling techniques enabled us to determine their role in the style and formal appearance of this painting and to discuss Portuguese painting practices in the larger context of 16th-century European painting. Mineral and elemental associations or impurities in the blue pigments, as well as degradation issues affecting minium, and smalt paints were reported. In particular, the deterioration of the glass matrix in some of the smalt particles mixed in lead white paint raises special concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though there are a great number of studies of the Monastery of El Escorial, the surrounding buildings built in the 16th century have gone almost unnoticed. Among them, the Botica or Apothecary was designed by a disciple of Juan de Herrera and still arouses interest for several reasons. Firstly, because it composes an outstanding closure to the Monastery's main building and the surrounding Lonja, while at the same time it connects other neighbouring buildings; secondly, because the surviving documents about its history, uses, and construction processes had not then been studied; and thirdly, because there was no accurate survey permitting an in-depth study of its materials, construction methods, and techniques. We based our research on the information in archive documents, on the study of an outstanding set of ancient drawings, and on the production of a new survey. As a first step, we drew the first set of accurate plans of the building. From this base we undertook the essential formal, functional, and constructive analysis. We also put forward and confirmed the main hypotheses about the building's chronology and the stages of its construction. Finally, we analysed the conservation works that were carried out facing the two main risks of termite attacks and weathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of 14 glass fragments and production remains dated to the 16th and 17th centuries was collected during rescue archaeological works conducted in Granada, Spain, and was characterised by µ-PIXE. This preliminary study constitutes the first analytical approach to glass manufacturing remains from a Spanish production dated to the early-modern period. µ-PIXE allowed for the quantification of major, minor and some trace elements of the glass fragments. It also allowed mapping the elemental distribution on the fragments that were identified as an interface of crucible/glass. This analysis constitutes an evaluation of the ionic exchange between glass and crucible. The glass colours vary from the natural green and blue hues to completely colourless samples. The results show that the majority of the glass samples are of soda-lime-silicate composition, and only one proved to be of a potassium-rich composition. From this, one can hypothesise that glass rich in sodium (following the Mediterranean tradition) and potassium-rich glass (following a central and north European tradition) were both locally produced. Since this location was known as la Calle Horno del Vidrio (Glass Furnace Street) and several production evidences were found, it is highly probable that an artisanal glass production existed in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]