What is "blackamoors"

n. (plural of blackamoor English)

Blackamoors may refer to:

• Black tetra, a small fish also called a blackamoor (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi)
• Moors, Muslims of Spain and North Africa
• Blackamoors (decorative arts) stylized depictions of black Africans in the decorative arts, jewelry, or heraldry
• wikt:blackamoor, slang for dark skinned people, after the Moors
• Blackamoor, Lancashire, a village in England

Blackamoor figures are sculptures and other depictions of exotic figures, usually African males but sometimes other non-European races, used in European art in the Early Modern period. They occur in various media, often holding a tray or some other container, which was available for practical use. They occur in jewelry, armorial designs and decorative art. They often represent a conceit depicting a symbolic servant, and large examples of about half-size were placed on either sides of doorways, as real footmen might be. These examples were typically in cheaper materials such as painted wood, or plaster.