Ornamentalism. The Art of Renaissance Accessories

Ny consideration of fashion, a lively area for research on the early modern period, must include a look at the role accessories played. Throughout the period, honor and position were performed and demonstrated not only through beautiful attire, but most importantly by dazzling accessories. Signs of wealth, possession, and ownership, accessories were wrought from any number of materials, from gold and silver, or pearl, to starch and linen, to metal, to silk, to wax, to bone, to leather, even human flesh. Accessories could mark or help construct gender; they could be a product of women's work, a symbol of chastity, a sign of good breeding. They could suggest sexual prowess or facilitate seduction, betrothal, and marriage; signal the boundaries between public and private, the conflict between excess and restraint.

Ornamentalism is the first book to focus on Renaissance accessories, their histories, and their meanings. In this collection, leading scholars bring accessories to the center of a discussion about material culture, dress, and adornment, exploring their use, significance, and multiple lives. Defining an "accessory" in the broadest sense-including scents, veils, handkerchiefs, lingerie, codpieces, dildos, jewels, ruffs, wax seals, busks, shoes, scissors, and even boys-the book provides a rich cultural history that's eclectic and bold, including discussions of bodily functions, personal hygiene, and sexuality. Ornamentalism will appeal to multiple audiences within literature, cultural studies, and history.