What started this train of thought for me was this: http://www.tekhelet.com/brochure.htm . I didn't realise the importance of blue to the Hebrews or if there was any significance to women. I did a search on biblical Judith and found a quote from the Book of Judith that said she cast off her blue widow's veil and left the city, her beauty was a surprise to the elders.... Judith is considered a heroine but the whole story is by most thought to be fictional by many. Judith is important in that she represents the people overcoming their invaders. When I did a cursory search for Judith paintings, there was an overwhelming number of them that in some way, she was wearing a distinct blue or shades of it, even if just a fold or stripe in a layer. Italians subscribed to the yellow-is-Jewish thing as well, she wore nothing on her head - likely relevant to the story of her casting off her veil. She doesn't for the most part look any different than any other Italian woman, it seemed the bulk of the non-Italian, 16th c. paintings didn't use this blue indicator however - Cranach being the most noticable in this group. I really don't know how to interpret this one. It would be a fascinating research... just one I don't have the time to sink my teeth into at the moment.
Kathy Ermine, a lion rampant tail nowed gules charged on the shoulder with a rose Or barbed, seeded, slipped and leaved vert (Fieldless) On a rose Or barbed vert a lion's head erased gules. It’s never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot Tosach eólais imchomarc. - Questioning is the beginning of knowledge. http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/131 > Wow! This stirred up a really vague memory of an article I read, > probably 15 years ago about a special blue dye--if memory serves, it > came from the Mediterranean, and was, similar to Tyrian purple, a > shell-fish based vat dye. And it was used by the Hebrews and, again > if I'm remembering right, had a ritual significance. If it's shellfish-based, it would be unlikely to be used by the Hebrews, at least not post-Sinai, as it would be considered unclean per the kosher law in Leviticus. <snip>So, depending on where and when the art was produced, you might see pointed hats, or yellow badges, or stripes, or other devices to designate Jewish characters -- <snip>In medieval Christian art, ultramarine blue has long been associated with the Virgin -- usually in her mantle or robe -- because it was the most expensive available pigment. <snip> but I don't know if that was a "Jewish" thing in particular or just an "important person" designator. You are probably thinking about the single thread of blue included in <snip> I'm not aware of any special significance of blue in regards to women. It's probably something from the Christian symbolism <snip> _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
