Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Life Lessons from Portuguese Tiles

All these tiled pictures are from the church (called Sao Francisco) that i mentioned in the last post - the really rich one. I could post hundreds of pictures of the gold leaf interior and they'd all be nice but i mainly liked the blue and white tiles that were imported from Portugal and displayed in the cloisters. It's a bit tatty (but then the unofficial civil war that rages constantly in Salvador means that this state of affairs doesn't surprise) but the mosaics are amazing if not slightly haunting. There is even one which has a picture of Jesus with horns and pregnant angels (some joke played by uppity slave whilst he was no doubt being whipped and assembling them)

They all have a little plaque at the bottom saying what they represent. They are in a specific order, as they draw closer to death but the pictures got slightly messed up in order on my camera so they are a bit all over the place below...



The blessings of country life.
Be content with your lot.
Envy is great evil.
In union there is strength.
The scales of friendship.
Every power is subject to a greater power.
Before all else heal thy soul.
In any state of life you may still be a philosopher.
Stick to the middle of the road.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Learning perfects nature.
Old age has its compensations.
The Lost is never found again.
With time we change ourselves.
The fear of death (!).
Death levels all ranks.
Death is certain.
It is true philosophy to meditate on death.
Secure if you live virtuously.
After death jealousy ceases.
Death is the last thread.
In death all is left behind.
Cheery eh?

and this was the state of the place, as I say, silent civil war going on...



Seems that i missed the JC with horns and the pregnant angels but here are a couple more without plaques for meaning...




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