The broken piece of a larger picture: A renaissance enameled glass fragment depicting a triumphal procession

Among the finds from the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha (Coimbra), one of the largest assemblages of archaeological glass dating to the 17th century unearthed in Portugal, a small blue fragment decorated with enamels and depicting a triumphal procession stands out. This article presents the results of a study of this fragment, which is related to the occupation of the monastery during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The glass and the enamels were analyzed by p-PIXE, using an external beam configuration. The results, especially those pertaining to the body glass, permit us to propose a Venetian origin for the fragment. We also believe that cristallo was used to produce the associated glass object. The composition of elements related to the cobalt ore confirms that the fragment is to be dated before 1520.