Iconografía del pavo real en la Edad Media
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Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio
info
ISSN: 2254-7312
Year of publication: 2021
Volume: 13
Issue: 23
Pages: 143-168
Type: Article
More publications in: Revista digital de iconografía medieval
Abstract
The peacock is a bird characterized by its large tail full of spots that look like eyes and that when it unfolds resembles a starry sky. It is one of the most represented birds in Eastern and Western art. Its polysemic, and sometimes contradictory character is appreciated in the medieval world. Among its positive iconographic meanings, beauty, prudence and self-love stand out, which have served to symbolize heaven, night, resurrection, the Eucharist and Christ. However, it has also been used to signify negative values such as vanity, pride, fatuity, or even malevolence. This article analyses the iconographic development from Southeast Asia to Western Europe, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, through different routes of influence.