{"id":23217,"date":"2026-07-08T20:56:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T20:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/an-acanthus-a-kantharos-and-a-singer-echoes-of-the-revisited-ancient-mediterranean\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T20:56:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T20:56:46","slug":"an-acanthus-a-kantharos-and-a-singer-echoes-of-the-revisited-ancient-mediterranean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/an-acanthus-a-kantharos-and-a-singer-echoes-of-the-revisited-ancient-mediterranean\/","title":{"rendered":"An Acanthus, a Kantharos and a Singer \u2013 Echoes of the Revisited Ancient Mediterranean"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of the exhibition \u201cO Sorriso do Acanto” (“The Smile of the Acanthus”)\u201d, on display at the Bas\u00edlica Paleocrist\u00e3 of the Museu de M\u00e9rtola Cl\u00e1udio Torres from 27 January to 28 June 2026, the talk \u201cUm Acanto, um C\u00e2ntaro e um Cantor \u2013 Ecos do Mediterr\u00e2neo Antigo Revolvido” (“An Acanthus, a Kantharos and a Singer \u2013 Echoes of the Revisited Ancient Mediterranean”)\u201d took place on 26 June. The event was led by the exhibition’s creator, Sara Domingos, and featured Lu\u00eds Mendon\u00e7a de Carvalho, Susana G\u00f3mez Martinez and Virg\u00edlio Lopes.<\/p>\n

Sara Domingos introduced the exhibition’s theme and explained the creative process, which takes the acanthus as its starting point. She explains that \u201cone of the first surprises of this project was realising that observing plants could raise just as many questions as studying historical sources. Often the names remain the same, but the botanical correspondences are not always clear. In my case, it all began when I started wondering about the resemblance between the traditional representation of the acanthus and a mullein plant I came across along a path\u201d. She further emphasised that, \u201cthere was one idea that emerged repeatedly throughout this research: the idea of passage. When I arrived in M\u00e9rtola, I realised that the Bas\u00edlica Paleocrist\u00e3 itself is a place of passage. It does not belong entirely to either the Roman world or the medieval world. It bears witness to a moment in which different traditions coexist, intersect and are transformed. At the same time, many narratives about the Mediterranean continue to focus on the Greco-Roman heritage. However, the more I researched, the more connections I found with the eastern Mediterranean and other geographical regions\u201d.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, she notes that \u201cat a certain point, the research began to move away from the acanthus itself and towards the connections it suggested. One of the most striking examples was the kantharos, a cup deeply embedded in the imagery of Antiquity and frequently depicted alongside acanthus leaves. By following this line of enquiry, I realised that my research was taking me beyond the conventional boundaries of Classical Antiquity. Unexpected connections emerged with Sanskrit, Arabic and other cultural traditions. \u201cNot as evidence of a common origin, but as echoes of recurring ideas associated with passage, connection, narrowing and transformation. Throughout this journey, I also came to realise that many of these connections first emerged as intuitions and only later found support in historical or archaeological evidence\u201d.<\/p>\n

The participants discussed a range of topics relating to nature and botany, history and archaeology, the representation of nature in art and its symbolism, and the relationship between societal transformations and the arts. Among the questions raised were the following: Where does the observation of nature end and the cultural construction of that nature begin? In light of the archaeological evidence from M\u00e9rtola, how has our understanding of Late Antiquity changed? Does it still make sense to speak of Eastern influences, or does such terminology continue to reflect an outdated way of viewing the Mediterranean? What role did the medieval Islamic world play in preserving, transforming and transmitting this classical heritage? To what extent can contemporary art, through its dialogue with the past, serve as a means of mediating between the museum’s collections and its audiences?<\/p>\n

This talk marked the closing of the exhibition \u201cO Sorriso do Acanto” (“The Smile of the Acanthus”)\u201d, which attracted 1,137 visitors. Our thanks to everyone involved, and in particular to Sara Domingos. We look forward to the development of new projects that celebrate cultural heritage and promote the collections of the Museu de M\u00e9rtola Cl\u00e1udio Torres.<\/p>\n

Brief biographical notes on the participants:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sara Domingos<\/strong> \u2013 Independent visual artist and creator of the exhibition “O Sorriso do Acanto” (“The Smile of the Acanthus”). She works across the fields of fine art, graphic arts and textile art, with a particular focus on dialogue between cultures (see: www.sara-domingos.wixsite.com<\/span><\/a> ).<\/p>\n

Lu\u00eds Mendon\u00e7a de Carvalho<\/strong> \u2013 Biologist, Coordinating Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Beja, founder and director of the Beja Botanical Museum, and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Ethnobotany and the Safeguarding of Plant Heritage. His research focuses on ethnobotany, plant heritage, and the cultural relationships between human communities and plants.<\/p>\n

Susana G\u00f3mez Martinez<\/strong> \u2013 Archaeologist and Historian. Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of History at the University of \u00c9vora; researcher at the CEAACP (Centre for Research in Archaeology, Arts and Heritage Sciences); and member of the Board of the Campo Arqueol\u00f3gico de M\u00e9rtola. Her research focuses on the medieval and Islamic archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, with particular emphasis on M\u00e9rtola and the societies of the medieval Islamic world.<\/p>\n

Virg\u00edlio Lopes<\/strong> \u2013 Archaeologist, researcher, and member of the Board of the Campo Arqueol\u00f3gico de M\u00e9rtola. Associate Researcher at the CEAACP (Centre for Research in Archaeology, Arts and Heritage Sciences), he has been involved for several decades in the archaeological research projects carried out in M\u00e9rtola, participating in and coordinating numerous excavation campaigns, including the work undertaken at the Bas\u00edlica Paleocrist\u00e3. His research focuses on the archaeology of Late Antiquity and the Islamic period in southern Portugal.<\/p>\n

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As part of the exhibition \u201cO Sorriso do Acanto” (“The Smile of the Acanthus”)\u201d, on display at the Bas\u00edlica Paleocrist\u00e3 of the Museu de M\u00e9rtola Cl\u00e1udio Torres from 27 January to 28 June 2026, the talk \u201cUm Acanto, um C\u00e2ntaro e um Cantor \u2013 Ecos do Mediterr\u00e2neo Antigo Revolvido” (“An Acanthus, a Kantharos and a Singer \u2013 Echoes of the Revisited Ancient Mediterranean”)\u201d took place on 26 June. The event was led by the exhibition’s creator, Sara Domingos, and featured Lu\u00eds Mendon\u00e7a de Carvalho, Susana G\u00f3mez Martinez and Virg\u00edlio Lopes.
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