Well, we are in front of one of the most unique pieces that we have at the Museum of Burgos. It is a Muslim ivory chest that, as you can see on the sign, bears a signature. This is something unique. Muhammd Ibn Zayyan made it in Cuenca in the 11th century. It has several distinctive features. The first one, is the sign with the maker's signature. We are in the 11th century and in those times makers did not leave their signature. It was the work that was important, not the maker. Then, this is considered an important work of art for which it is worth remembering the maker. Also, it is dated in the year 1026, although it is dated with the chosen date. And it has another very important peculiarity. The decoration that is used, human figure and animal figures. We know that, in the Muslim world, representing the human figure and animal figures was completely banned. Normally, in Arabic and Muslim decoration we see plant, geometric and epigraphic motifs. Praise to Allah is widely used for the decoration. But here we have the particularity that it is a chest and on the three sides we see that hunting scenes are depicted. But it not only represents hunting scenes. As we see, the decoration is divided into horizontal bands and we have several hunting scenes. It is like a comic. It tells us a story. We see scenes of Muslim soldiers clothed according to Muslim fashion of the 11th century that are hunting, as well as other representations. This chest also, according to legend, is a war booty taken by Fernán González who donates it to the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. So, what happens? We are in front of a Muslim chest with praises to Allah and representations of Muslim warriors or hunters. So that the monastery can make use of it, it is Christianized. To do so, the ivory plate at this end is removed and this enamel plate is added, from their own workshops. Here we find the first known image of Santo Domingo de Silos. Santo Domingo in the middle flanked by two angels. The original ivory plate was also removed from the lid and an enamel plate with the Agnus Dei was added and probably the image of the four evangelists at each of the four corners, but they have disappeared. In this way, the chest becomes Christian and is used as a relic of the treasure of the Santo Domingo Silos Monastery. It arrives at the museum, just like the balls case, in 1849 due to the dissolution of the Monastery. All the metal elements we see are elements that were replaced in the Christian era and we have never been able to recover the original ivory plate that was removed and it is missing. Indeed, there are only two models of this type of chests with figurative representations in Spain and we have this one. And as I say, it forms part of the whole history of Muslim art in Spain due to its uniqueness and because, of course, it has been exquisitely made. It is almost a piece of lacework. We are in front of one of the most important pieces in terms of typology and culture. We are in front of a Muslim piece, of Muslim making, that takes us back to the first moments of the Caliphate state in Andalusia. This is a piece from the workshops, from the own workshops of Medina Azahara in the great town that the Caliph established in Cordoba and it is a piece that, as we can see, was made from an elephant's tusk. Notice that it is an entire tusk opened down the middle and that it is straight. It does not have the typical curves of elephants' tusks so imagine the size that this tusk must have had. It is carved inside and has five hollows. It has taken a long time but in the end specialists have decided that it is a games case. As I say, it was made in Medina Azahara, in ivory, and presents the typical "ataurique" decoration of plant elements that can be found in Medina Azahara and in the decor of all the reliefs of the plasteworks in Medina Azahara. An outstanding feature is the writing in Arabic at the ends, which explains what this piece is for. This piece was made for a lady, the daughter of Abderraman, Prince of the believers. Then we know that it is a case that was made for a Princess, daughter of Abderraman and by the dates we think it was Abderraman III. In the beginning, many specialists did not explain properly what this piece was, what this piece could be. In many publications it is referred to as a case for oitments, for perfumes. The piece has no traces of having kept this type of substances, which would have left marks. However, we know that in Africa, in the north of Morocco, in the northern part of Africa there is a game very similar to petanque, which is called Mancala, that is played with five balls. Then, it seems that yes, it has been assumed that it was the Princess' games case. How does it get to the Museum of Burgos? According to tradition it is a war booty of Fernán González, who in some battles with Roman III, it is a war booty, hands it over to the Monastery of Silos that uses it and Christianizes it to use it as a relic. During Christianity it did not matter whether important pieces came from the Muslim world or the Jewish world. They were Christianized and used for Christian purposes. In this way, it enters the Monastery as a luxury item, such as it is, because at this time Chrisitians knew how to appreciate valueable items and materials: "We are not going to disregard it just because it is Muslim". So they Christianize it and use it and it has been part of the treasure of the Monastery of Silos for centuries, from the 10th century until now as a relic, for depositing Christian relics. Just the same as the front piece of Silos and other pieces it arrives at the Museum of Burgos on the occasion of the dissolution and forms part of the founding core collection of this museum since the year 1849
