SUMMARY Reception of Oriental fabrics in Iberian Christian contexts

Abstract

In the Middle Ages, rich fabrics of Eastern origin were prized by elites in the Iberian Peninsula as a symbol of collective identity and personal status and were preserved for generations. Luxury textiles arrived in Christian territories through several ways. Their transcultural nature favoured the knowledge of decorative codes adopted in the ornamentation of other materials and techniques. They were not perceived as exotic objects but rather were appropriated by elites who appreciated their material and aesthetic qualities, free of religious connotations by valuing them primarily as a sign of luxury and magnificence. Only in some cases did their appropriation represent an act of authority, domination and submission, when they were plundered and taken as spoils of war.