By Eric D. Graham
The Moretto Veneziano Brooch depicting a Black man in a golden robe and a turban, worn by Princess Michael of Kent to the Queen of England's Christmas dinner last year that was attended by Prince Henry's finance' Megan Markle, which was made in Venice Italy that was considered to be racist by Western media outlets, upset Alberto Nardi, the owner of the jewelery store Piazza San Maro, who made the elaborate piece.
"We made the brooch,” he told Italian media when the scandal erupted.
“A whole lot of nonsense has been written, and I wish to defend an object that is rich in history and unique to Venice. Regardless of the princess’s conduct, this is an object that is the total antithesis of racism, the charge made by the Anglo-Saxon media that have tarnished our name. The brooch depicts a MOORish Venetian PRINCE.
According to jewelry historian Anastazia Buttita, the controversy surrounding the MOORISH VENETIAN PRINCE brooch wore on the shoulder of Princess Michael, is simple an example of cultural misunderstanding.
Especially, coming from the WEST, who are so ingrained in their racist past and fabricated history that they fell to see the TRUTH.
Especially, coming from the WEST, who are so ingrained in their racist past and fabricated history that they fell to see the TRUTH.
“People from Britain and America are entitled to feel offended, but this came from a different cultural context and these objects need to be placed in the appropriate context.
Buttitta, who studied art history at the University of Florence under Prof. Dora Liscia Bemporad, a pioneer in the history of applied art and Jewelry said that the word “moro” (“Moor”) was never perceived in Italy as having a negative or racist connotation.
Matter of fact, the term, itself, (Moor) was NEVER used to describe slaves. BUT, it was a word used to describe "Black" Arabs, North Africans and "Black Muslims" from the Middle East, which conquered and ruled Sicily.
“The moro also became a symbol of three places in Italy that are all interconnected,” Buttitta explained to Israel's longest running newspaper.
“Venice, which has been represented for centuries by the symbol of a BLACK prince, after the symbol of the lion of St. Mark. Sardinia, whose flag includes four heads of BLACK men, eyes covered.
In the most recent version, the cloth extends above his eyes.
And Sicily, one of whose symbols is the Testa di Moro, a ceramic vase in the form of a BLACK man’s head, paired with a vase in the form of a white woman’s head.”
Many scholars have theorized and come to the conclusion that it was the presence of the Moors in Sicily, which have given Italians, especially Sicilians, their dark eyes, "kingly" hair, and dark features.
This concept has been entertained in Hollywood movies like the groundbreaking "Do The Right Thing" by Spike Lee as well as in Quentin Tarantino's film True Romance featuring Dennis Hopper. (E.Graham)
This concept has been entertained in Hollywood movies like the groundbreaking "Do The Right Thing" by Spike Lee as well as in Quentin Tarantino's film True Romance featuring Dennis Hopper. (E.Graham)
