Ostrich egg pendant

Ostrich eggs for the Mauresque room

Ostrich eggs suspended in rooms have been known in the Christian and Islamic regions of the Mediterranean since the early modern period. Their purpose is to warn the faithful to safeguard their souls against harm. In bazaars, they are hung on the fronts of streetside shops, and in and above gateways. Ostrich eggs decorate the tombs of saints, churches and mosques. With the fashion for all things Oriental, they find their way into upper class living rooms furnished “in Moorish style“.

Object data

Inv. No.

16981

Object Name

Ostrich egg pendant

Collection

Schloss Miramar

Accession via

Ferdinand Max von Österreich (Maximilian von Mexiko) (1832 Wien - 1867 Querétaro (Mexiko)) - GND

Dated

before 1855

Accession Date

1883

Material

Ostrich egg, silk, cotton, silver thread, pigments

Dimensions

Egg: H. 14 cm, W. 11.5 cm

Video

Projekt: Dornröschen - Folge 4 - Das Ei des Ferdinand

Cultural Patronage

Cultural Patronage

Das Weltmuseum Wien dankt Frau Sibylle Weigl herzlich für die übernommene Kulturpatenschaft.