Ostrich egg decorated with animals and trees

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“.