Códice Casanatense
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The Códice Casanatense, its popular Portuguese title, or the Codex Casanatense 1889, is a set of 16th-century Portuguese illustrations, which depict peoples and cultures whom the Portuguese frequently had contact with around the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is now kept at the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome, with the official designation of ''Album di disegni, illustranti usi e costumi dei popoli d'Asia e d'Africa con brevi dichiarazioni in lingua portoghese'' ("Album of drawings, illustrating the uses and customs of the people of Asia and Africa with brief descriptions in Portuguese language").


Contents and origin

The codex consists of seventy-six
watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting metho ...
illustrations, one of which is a later addition. Most come with a short description, and include illustrations of people from east Africa, Arabia, Persia, Afghanistan, Balochistan, India, Ceylon, Malaysia, China, and the Moluccas, as well as some insights into fauna, flora, and certain traditions, such as the Hindu religion — previously unknown in Europe. Several of its inscriptions provide information as to the date it was made, namely the allusion to the siege of Diu in 1538, but the absence of any mention of the Japanese, whom the Portuguese contacted in 1541–1543. It is therefore possible it was made circa 1540. Its earliest recorded owner was the novice João da Costa of the College of St. Paul of Goa, who in 1627 sent it to Lisbon, according to information inscribed within the codex. Once in Europe, it was acquired by Cardinal Girolamo Casanata who, on his death in 1700, bequeathed it along with his private collection to the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...
, for the creation of a new library, where it is now kept. It was first brought to public attention by the scholar Georg Schurhammer, who published several pictures in the Portuguese historical magazine ''Garcia da Horta'' in the 1950s. The Códice Casanatense provides an extremely rare insight into the culture of the peoples in 16th-century Africa and Asia, and is especially valuable for the study of popular arms and garments of the era.


Gallery


Sub-Saharan Africa


Abyssinia

File:Codice Casanatense Ethiopians.jpg, Abyssinian warrior and his wife


Nubia

File:Codice Casanatense Nubians.jpg, Nubians


Cafreria

File:Codice Casanatense Cafres.jpg, Inhabitants of the headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, named and its inhabitants dubbed ''Cafres'' by the Portuguese


West Asia


Arabia

File:Codice Casanatense Muscat Bathing Scene.jpg, Bathing scene of the women of Muscat File:Codice Casanatense Fartaques.jpg, Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Fartakh in the east Arabian coast and Socotra, called ''Fartaques'' by the Portuguese File:Codice Casanatense Arabian Merchants.jpg, Arabian merchants from the Hejaz File:Codice Casanatense Arabian Boduis.jpg, Farmers from southeastern Arabia, possibly Yemen, called ''Boduis'' by the Portuguese File:Codice Casanatense Arabian Sailors.jpg, "Sailors" from Arabia, probably fishermen File:Codice Casanatense Arabian Sailors II.jpg, Sailors from Arabia, repetition


Mesopotamia

File:Codice Casanatense Rumes.jpg, "Rumes" (Turks) that inhabit the Red Sea and Basra File:Codice Casanatense Marsh Arabs.jpg, Marsh Arabs


Hormuz

File:Codice Casanatense Persian People from Hormuz.png, Iranian couple from Hormuz File:Codice Casanatense Portuguese Dinner in Hormuz.png, A dinner of Portuguese in Hormuz; the climate was hot enough that people purposely flooded their homes


Persia and Afghanistan

File:Codice Casanatense Shirazians.jpg, A couple from Shiraz File:Codice Casanatense Khorasanians.jpg, A couple from Khorassan File:Codice Casanatense Turkmens.jpg, Turkmens from Persia


Balochistan

File:Codice Casanatense Nautaques.jpg, ''Nautaques'', Baloch fishermen who also attacked trade ships


South Asia


Sindh

File:Codice Casanatense Sindhis.jpg, Sindhis


Gujarat

File:Sultan of Gujarat Codice Casanatense.png, "King of Cambay", the Sultan of Gujarat File:Codice Casanatense Rajputs.png, Rajputs, "who inhabit the backwoods of Cambay" File:Códice Casanatense Gujarati Lascarins.jpg, Gujarati couple of a ''lascarin'' (foot soldier) and his wife File:Codice Casanatense Moneychanger of Gujarat.jpg, Money changer of Gujarat File:Codice Casanatense Gujarati Merchant.jpg, Merchants of Gujarat File:Codice Casanatense Water-tank in Gujarat.jpg, Water tank in Gujarat File:Codice Casanatense Water-sellers of Gujarat.jpg, Water sellers of Gujarat File:Codice Casanatense Gujarati Women.jpg, Gujarati women File:Codice Casanatense Gujarati Farmers.jpg, Farmers and land workers of Gujarat File:Codice Casanatense Gujarati Carriage.jpg, Carriage of Gujarat


Northern and Northeastern India

File:Codice Casanatense Patanes.jpg, Pashtun Horse Archers File:Codice Casanatense Patanas.jpg, Pashtun Horse Archers File:Codice Casanatense Bengalis.jpg, Bengalis


Goa and the Kanara Coast

File:Codice Casanatense Foot-Soldier of Goa.jpg, Goan footsoldier, who were known to use longbows File:Codice Casanatense Kanarese Blacksmiths.jpg, Goan blacksmiths File:Codice Casanatense Maynatos.jpg, Clothes washers, called ''mainatos'' by the Portuguese File:Codice Casanatense Wheat-sellers of Kanara.jpg, Wheat sellers in Goa File:Codice Casanatense Farmers from the Kanara Coast.jpg, Goan farmers File:Codice Casanatense Brahmin Goldsmiths.jpg, A Brahmin goldsmith from Goa File:Codice Casanatense Hindu Kanarese.jpg, Hindu Kanarese, called "gentiles" by the Portuguese


Malabar Coast

File:Codice Casanatense Nayars.jpg, Nayars or Nairs, a Hindu "warrior" caste of the Malabar Coast File:Codice Casanatense Naitas.jpg, Descendants of Muslim men married to Indian women, called ''Naitás'' ("Navayats") by the Portuguese File:Codice Casanatense Saint Thomas Christians.jpg, Malabarese Christians of Saint Thomas File:Codice Casanatense Malabarese Muslims.jpg, Malabarese Muslims (Mappila) File:Codice Casanatense Jews of Malabar.jpg, Malabarese Jews


Coromandel Coast

File:Codice Casanatense Badagas.jpg, Badagas, who inhabited the southeastern coast of India File:Codice Casanatense Orissans.jpg, People from Orissa, in the eastern coast of India


Ceylon

File:Codice Casanatense Sri Lankan Women.png, Women of Sri Lanka File:Codice Casanatense Sinhalese Warriors.jpg, "Chingalas"; warriors of Sri Lanka, "where the cinnamon is born"


Maldives

File:Codice Casanatense Maldivans.jpg, Maldivians


Southeast Asia


Burma

File:Codice Casanatense Peguans.jpg, People from the Kingdom of Bago


Malacca

File:Malays from the Malacca Sultanate Codice Casanatense.jpg, Malay "gentiles" of the Kingdom of Malacca


Indonesia

File:Codice Casanatense Acehnese.jpg, Acehnese people File:Codice Casanatense Javanese.jpg, Javanese people File:Codice Casanatense Halmaherans.jpg, People from Halmahera, also known as Gilolo File:Codice Casanatense Moluccans.jpg, Moluccans File:Codice Casanatense Bandanese.jpg, Bandanese


East Asia


China

File:Codice Casanatense Chinese.jpg, Chinese


Miscellaneous


Hindu rituals

File:Codice Casanatense Shiva Vishnu Brahma.jpg, Illustration of the three main deities of Hinduism File:Codice Casanatense Hindu Marriage Left.jpg, Hindu marriage, left File:Codice Casanatense Hindu Marriage Center.jpg, Hindu marriage, center File:Codice Casanatense Hindu Marriage Right.jpg, Hindu marriage, right File:Códice Casanatense Hook Swinging.jpg, Hindu ritual of hook swinging File:Códice Casanatense Hindu Sacrifice.jpg, Hindu self-sacrifice File:Códice Casanatense Hindu Self-Sacrifice.jpg, Hindu self-sacrifice File:Codice Casanatense Hindu Pilgrims.jpg, Hindu pilgrims and roving holy men File:Codice Casanatense Hindu Burial.jpg, Burial of a living widow File:Codice Casanatense Temple Car.jpg, Hindu temple car, crushing a worshiper


The Portuguese in Asia

File:Codice Casanatense Portuguese Nobleman.jpg, A Portuguese nobleman with his retinue in India File:Codice Casanatense Portuguese Nobleman and Christian Indian.jpg, "Single Christian women of India" wearing European fashion, and a Portuguese nobleman, presumably proposing marriage File:Codice Casanatense Portuguese Noblewoman on a Palanquin.png, Portuguese noblewoman on a palanquin


Fauna and flora

File:Codice Casanatense Snakes of India.jpg, Illustration of a Naja snake and a mysterious two headed snake


See also

*
Miniature (illuminated manuscript) A miniature (from the Latin verb 'to colour with minium', a red lead) is a small illustration used to decorate an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple illustrations of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with ...
* Boxer Codex * Tipos del País *
Ottoman miniature Ottoman miniature ( Turkish: ''Osmanlı minyatürü'') is a style of illustration found in Ottoman manuscripts, often depicting portraits or historic events. Its unique style was developed from multiple cultural influences, such as the Persian ...
*
Persian miniature A Persian miniature (Persian language, Persian: نگارگری ایرانی ''negârgari Irâni'') is a small Persian painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a ...
* Mughal painting


Notes


References

* {{cite book, last=De Matos, first=Luis, title=Imagens do Oriente no século XVI: Reprodução do Códice português da Biblioteca Casanatense, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jOFmQgAACAAJ&q=imagens+do+oriente+no+s%C3%A9c+xvi, location=Lisbon, publisher=Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda, year=1985, ref={{sfnRef, Matos, 1985


External links


Official Webpage of the Biblioteca Casanatense

Portuguese Codice
Portugal history-related lists Portuguese books 16th-century manuscripts