Ladies’ Parlour (estrado de damas) is a room highly illustrative of Spanish daily life, where the ladies sat on cushions Moorish style (a la morisca), to read, play music, do needlework, pray or talk. The term estrado refers to an Oriental style of decorating, where both floors and walls were covered, and the preferred seating position was Turkish fashion, with legs crossed, or reclining on rugs and large cushions.
From the 14th century onwards, this became a room for the ladies, and it was furnished with small objects such as boxes and caskets, small bureaus, pillows, footstools and small desks.
Rugs, mats and braziers are other typical features of this type of room, where seating is absent, save the occasional stool for the gentlemen, who entered this female environment only when invited. The spinning wheel, the vihuela (after a 16th century model) and the books denote the kind of activities ladies did in this female dominion.
Spanish Audio guide
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- Habitación donde las damas se sentaban a la morisca para leer…
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- Arqueta aragonesa, siglo XVII
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- Escritorio castellano, siglo XVII
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- Escritorio contador castellano, siglo XVI
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- Plato de cerámica de reflejo metálico, Manises, siglo XVI
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- Torno de hilar de escuela castellana, siglo XVII
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- Réplica de una vihuela de mano, siglo XVI
