"Sesame". Series "The Battle for the spice" Drawing

It is difficult to imagine, but many of the great battles of past centuries originated from the struggle waged by states to secure the spices that we use every day. Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Marco Polo, Vasco Da Gama, daring explorers, traveled in search and discovery of new worlds to gain supplies of cloves, nutmeg, salt, sugar, black pepper, cinnamon, saffron, and give the possibility their countries to have control of the very important spice market. In China, its oil has been used for centuries to light lanterns, and the residual fat to make cosmetics. A legend has it that General Darius, before an important battle against Alexander the Great, sent him a bag of sesame seeds to symbolize the large number of his warriors, and he replied by sending him a bag of mustard in turn, to symbolize that the men his orders were fewer but stronger. The collection of drawings "The Battle of the Spice" was presented to the public in February and March 2023 in Rende and in October 2023 in Museo del Presente (Rende, Italy) and in Pinacoteca Provinciale di Potenza.