#early modern

[nyxshadowhawk]

Fifteenth century tarot cards, possibly the oldest known deck. Look how beautiful they are! These are from way back before they were used for cartomancy.

[armthearmour]

A beautiful black and gilt Cup-hilt Rapier,

OaL: 44.6 in/113.3 cm

Blade Length: 36.8 in/93.5 cm

Width: 11.1 in/28.3 cm

Depth: 5 in/12.7 cm

Weight: 2.1 lbs/963.9 g

Italy, ca. 1650, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[godinthebeehive]

a fine gentleman

[escapismsworld]

Have you noticed these windows?

These images showcases a beautiful set of old, possibly medieval or early modern windows, which contain distinct "bullseye" panes. These "bullseyes" were a byproduct of a historical glass-making technique called crown glass production. During this process, molten glass would be spun into a disk, and the central portion, where the rod had been attached, would form a thick, rounded distortion — the bullseye. Originally considered flawed or less desirable compared to the smooth outer edges, these panes were often sold at a lower cost.

The bullseye feature is now cherished for its historical charm and rustic character. Because modern methods of glass production allow for flawless, uniform sheets of glass, this style of window pane is no longer deliberately replicated, giving such windows a unique, irreplaceable quality. The reflection of the light in these windows, along with the subtle distortions from the bullseyes, adds a sense of warmth and antiquity to the building.

In modern settings, these features are often sought after by those who appreciate craftsmanship and history. The uneven, hand-crafted appearance of these windows contrasts with today's mass-produced glass, making each pane unique and full of character, adding not just aesthetic value but also a tangible connection to the past.

[burningvelvet]

Miniature wedding portraits of Frances and John Croker of Barton by Nicolas Hilliard, circa 1581.

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 50: Early Modernish and Earlier 4

These Questions are the result of suggestions a the previous iteration.This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct earlier time grouping. In some cases a culture lasted a really long time and I grouped them by whether it was likely the later or earlier grouping made the most sense with the information I had. (Invention ofs tend to fall in an earlier grouping if it's still open. Ones that imply height of or just before something tend to get grouped later, but not always. Sometimes I'll split two different things from the same culture into different polls because they involve separate research goals or the like).

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

[eternalgirlscout]

the "spin a wheel and get an old-timey death" game in that How Would You Die In 1665? post is fun but i really encourage people to take a look at the collection of bills of mortality it's based on. it's both a historically interesting piece of early epidemiology AND a slow horror story of watching the plague deaths count up from single digits for weeks on end all the way through april to the thousands by august.

[useless-catalanfacts]

The Episcopal Archive and Library of Vic, Central Catalonia.

This archive contains the documentation generated by the Diocese of Vic for over 1000 years, as well as some other non-religious collections about its area that the Diocese has gathered throughout the centuries. It includes, among others, the document of consecration for Vic's cathedral, 5 papyrus Papal bulls (out of the 23 that exist in the world), documents of the trials against supposed witches, and many others that tell the history of Catalonia in the last 12 centuries.

The building also contains the Episcopal Library, which has about 200 incunables (books printed in the very earliest stages of printing in Europe, before the year 1500) and more than 300 manuscripts, the earliest of which is a parchment scroll dated in the year 882.

Photos by Victòria Rovira Casanovas published in La Mira. Information from Arxiu i Biblioteca Episcopal de Vic and La Mira.

[crowtoed]

A little detail I appreciate about Pentiment are the head coverings. They can actually tell you little things about the characters. First off, the doffing of caps indoors is a great touch. Just like in period, most womens' heads are covered once they're married. You see that with Eva Gertneryn. She wears her hair uncovered for most of Act I, except at the end where she's seen with Otto in the town square, wearing a kerchief and straw hat. This might symbolize that she's publicly accepted Otto's courtship and she's off the 'market'. For Acts II and III, her hair is covered. Pre-modern, a lot of feminine head coverings were as much for practicality as social modesty. I love the variety in-game (especially Hedwig's turban). Magdalene's not married, but she wears a wrapped cloth like a headband to keep her voluminous hair (inherited from her Mom, who wore hers the same way) out of the way as she works. They also help keep hair clean, which is helpful in a world where submerged baths are uncommon. Magdalene is clearly of a higher social status than some of the peasant girls in her age group if she has the time to comb her hair multiple times a day to keep it looking presentable.

I like that Else Mülleryn actually UNCOVERS her hair as time progresses. In Act III you can see it out in a braid, which might allude to her renewed sense of confidence and vitality post-Lenhardt (her clothing also becomes a lot more casual-looking, ideal for chasing grandkids). Speaking of widows, I have a feeling Ottilia never covered her hair, even when her husband was kicking. Because fuck supposed Christian modesty norms.

[shakespearenews]

Elizabeth Russell was just as fiercely territorial in London, where she maintained a mansion in the upmarket district of Blackfriars. In 1596 the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the playing company to which William Shakespeare belonged, was facing a crisis. The lease for the land where the acting troupe’s main venue, the Theatre in Shoreditch, stood was about to expire. Facing an uncertain future, the impresario James Burbage, who had created the Theatre, sunk a fortune into a new venture: a playhouse in Blackfriars. It cost a colossal £1,000 to purchase and renovate the property.

Unfortunately for Burbage and the players, the theatre was just over 120 feet from Elizabeth’s doorstep. Neither she nor her neighbours had objected to a previous theatre nearby, which had operated under the guise of a ‘private’ rehearsal space for the queen’s choristers (even though the paying public had attended performances there). But when she discovered that a ‘common playhouse’ was about to open in her elegant neighbourhood she was furious.

Galvanising her local community into action, Elizabeth got up a petition against the opening of the Blackfriars Theatre. Among its 30 signatories were Richard Field, Shakespeare’s first publisher, and Sir George Carey, the playing company’s patron. Neither dared object to Elizabeth’s anti-theatrical uprising.

[othmeralia]

Just a sprinkle of some fantastic monsters from our 1658 History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents.

[nyxshadowhawk]

A selection of images from a sequence depicting the alchemical process, from an early modern manuscript.

[armthearmour]

An early Basket-hilted Broadsword,

OaL: 42.5 in/107.9 cm

Blade Length: 36.5 in/92.7 cm

Width: 5.75 in/14.6 cm

Depth: 4.25 in/10.8 cm

Weight: 3 lbs/1360.8 g

Potsdam, Germany, hilt ca. 1540, blade 17th century, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[ochipi]

Stoneware appreciation post

(Late medieval - early modern)