GLOSSARY

Altar Table, inside a church or a temple, on which a priest celebrates religious ritual.

Aresta Technique. The raw clay plaque was moulded through embossed moulds, creating fine reliefs allowing the separation of colours.

Belt Piece of leather with a metallic buckle placed around the waistline to hold on clothing.

Book Gospel, Religious Orders Rules and other religious writing, printed and bounded with metallic locks.

Bracejo Vegetable fibre used to make baskets and carpets.

Buckle Metallic piece with a spike to hold a strap or a ribbon.

Chalcolithic Prehistoric period (copper age) following the Neolithic, just before Bronze Age.

Charter This was a document granted by the King or by a Lord (laic or ecclesiastic) to a certain territory, with the function of creating rules in the relations between the habitants of this territory and between them and the King, or the Lord. Usually, charters were to regulate taxes, fines, military service, privileges and people’s freedom, the use of common land, and many other aspects. They would be grouped in types because frequently some were used as models for others.

Chimera Fantasy being with unusual shapes, made by parts of different animals. Subject of classical inspiration.

Corda Seca Technique. The raw clay plaque was moulded through embossed moulds. These tracks were then filled with manganese and grease, which would turn into, when baked, a thin black bar. This bar would allow the separation of the colours.

Firmal Brooch or jewel used to hold mantles and dresses.

Gloves Pieces covering the hands. They were an important complement of clothing, in the upper class

Hammer Iron instrument with a wood handle, made to strike and to nail.

Homem Bom The Homen Bom belong to the wealthiest group of a settlement: rural landlords (rich farmers), bourgeois and mesteirais. They would monopolise municipal Office and representation at the Court; they would intervene in judgement and were in the council assembly, deciding administrative and economic questions.

Keys Metallic instrument to open or close a door’s lock.

King João II Born in 1455 and raised to the throne in 1481, date of King Afonso V death. However, he was the ruler de facto since 1477 and was running the Atlantic politics since 1474. On January 22 of 1471, he received Dona Leonor as his bride. He fought for weakening nobility and for centralising royal power. This made him the target of nobility’s discontentment. Royal revenge and repression was harsh and inflexible and Dom Diogo, brother-in-law and duke of Viseu was stabbed in Setúbal (1484). As King he carried on the overseas expansion politics that he had already started as Prince. He sponsored the continuation of exploration of Africa’s Western Coast and the passage of the Cape of Good Hope. He also signed the Treaty of Tordesilhas. He died in 1495.

King Manuel I Born in 1469. Nephew of Queen Leonor, Grandson of King Duarte, through the paternal line, and great-grandson, by father and mother, of King João I, became heir to the throne by the accidental death of the king’s legitimate son, and by the disfavour of the Queen against King João II bastard son.

Majolica Technique. Originally from late 15th century, it’s a tile with white stanniferous enamel (made with lead oxide and stain oxide) permitting several colours without mixing.

Manger Wood structure, placed inside the stable, where animals eat.

Manueline weights King Manuel I (1469-1521) tried (like his monarchic predecessors) to uniform the weights and measures of the realm, this being part of centralising royal power. He took for measures Lisbon’s values, but he did not achieve great success. There was still a large regional diversity.

Purse Piece of leather or velvet (small bag) carried at the waistline and closed by strings, to keep coins.

Rajolas Tiles, glazed, quadrangular shaped, made in the Spanish east (Valencia).

Rosary Object made by beads, shaped like a necklace, used for praying (15 Our Father's, the bigger beads separated amongst them by 10 Hail Mary’s in a row).

Scissors Cutting instrument made by two blades. Used for cutting cloth, thread, etc.

Sebasto Sort of a strip in a priest’s clothing.

Stove Made in clay used to cook with coal.