> As an self-confessed animal rights person (vegan), I would say a delicate > piece of intricate handmade lace would have been and still is a more > desirable gift :-)) > >> Oh my... looking at the women holding those little dead animals made me >> shudder to think what the animal rights people would do with that "fashion" >> now!!! >> >> Clay >> >> On 11/16/2010 11:06 AM, Linda Walton wrote: >>> Tatman wrote: >>> [snip] >>>> I have a friend who is reading a book that >>>> takes place in the 16th century. As she explains in her email to me below, >>>> the man character is giving a sable as a gift to his lady which she adorns >>>> on her gown. Is this sable the animal or some other accessory/item? From >>>> what I have found so far on the net is that it was a treasure to receive a >>>> sable and to display it on your gown as a status symbol. >>> [snip] >>>> Your thoughts and explanation of the significance of this ritual would be >>>> appreciated. >>> >>> My guess is that this refers to a "zibellino", (plural "zibellini"), which >>> was a fashion accessory for the very rich. The word lends itself to be >>> understood as "sable", but the fur itself might be something else, such as >>> marten. The fur was worn over the arm or shoulder of a woman. >>> >>> Renaissance furriers could preserver the skin, but had to replace the head >>> and little feet with gold, enamelled and bejewelled pieces. I think its use >>> may have been restricted to upper class women by the various sumptuary laws >>> of different countries. >>> >>> In that period, the animal was also a fertility symbol, which might have >>> some significance in your friend's story. I understand that there is a >>> portrait of Countess Livia da Porto in the Walters Gallery in Baltimore >>> which shows her with one. Because of the fertility reference, art >>> historians have speculated she might have been pregnant when the painting >>> was done, although she had two children already. (Her daughter Porzia is >>> pictured with her mother; her husband and son are in another painting.) >>> >>> There is an article here, with some more links:- >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zibellino >>> and a search on "sibellini" will throw up lots of links to images. >>> >>> The article mentions the alternative name of "flea-fur": I don't know the >>> origin of this, but it seems unlikely. The aristocratic women with such >>> items would be unlikely to advertise any problem with personal hygiene. >>> (Yes, I know all about fleas and the Black Death, but look at the death >>> rates for the different classes to see who had fleas and who didn't!) >>> Also, any flea would be more attracted to the nearest warm body - that is, >>> meal - than to any cold, dead, tanned fur piece. >>> >>> I'd be interested to know the title and author of your friend's book. >>> >>> Linda Walton, >>> (in cold, dank High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, U.K., where the fog hasn't >>> lifted all day). >>> >>> To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: >>> unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to >>> arachne.modera...@gmail.com. >>> >> >> To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: >> unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to >> arachne.modera...@gmail.com.
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