ARTH789D

This seminar will look at objects in domestic settings during the early modern period, principally c. 1500-1650, considering the material nature of domesticit in England, The Netherlands, and Italy. Our exploration will cover rooms from kitchen to study, from bedroom to reception chamber. We will think about objects of use and objects for show, thingsthat are gifted between persons and things intensely personal to asingle individual, small things worn on the body and large things rootedin a specific household location. Objects that are mundane will beas important to our investigation as things that are rare and precious. We will consider things that are made at home by family members, and locally by craftsmen, but also things being imported from other parts ofthe globe and domesticized within the home. The storage, arrangement, and display of objects will also be important issues.