Lords of the ocean. Treasures of the Portuguese Empire

Exhibition December 8, 2017 − February 25, 2018
For the first time in Russia, the Moscow Kremlin Museums present an exhibition "Lord of the ocean. Treasures of the Portuguese Empire ».

The theme of the exhibition was the history and culture of the Portuguese colonial empire of the XVI-XVIII centuries, which played an important role in world history. It was the Portuguese who for the first time so firmly and directly linked Africa, South and East Asia with Europe. As a result, at the intersection of centuries-old traditions of different nations, completely new cultural forms emerged, in which the legacy of the West and the East melted into unusual and remarkable works of art.

One hundred and forty exhibits from museums, private collections in Russia, Portugal and other countries not only demonstrate the splendor of the Portuguese court, the traditions of Portuguese navigation, science and culture, but also are silent witnesses to the mutual influence and cultural exchange of the metropolis with its possessions in India, China, Japan, Africa and Brazil.

The exposition is divided into two sections. The first section is devoted to the history and culture of Portugal. Among the exhibits are portraits and personal belongings of rulers, generals, navigators, who played an important role in the history of the Portuguese colonial empire. In addition, there are also items of ceremonial palace use, jewelry, coins, liturgical objects, weapons and armor, documents, engravings, atlases, maps, navigational instruments and instruments, manuscripts and books of the 16th-17th centuries.

The second section presents works created in different parts of the colonial empire under the influence of the culture of Portugal and Europe, as well as exhibits illustrating the history of the creation and functioning of the Portuguese colonial empire.

Among the participants of the exhibition project: National Museum of Ancient Art (Lisbon), National Archives of Torre do Tombou (Lisbon), National Palace of Sintra, The Royal Armory Chamber (Madrid), British museum (London), The Victoria and Albert Museum (London), The State Hermitage Museum, The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin other.

Based on the materials of the official site Museums of the Moscow Kremlin.

More information about the exhibition and its exhibits can be found in our article.