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abendgulesOf course, one risk of trying to recreate a medieval setting based on medieval artwork is that we don't know how 'accurate' the artwork is - is it an accurate representation of what artists saw? or is it simply a series of artistic conventions?
It's a tough question; most of us aren't art experts, but only keen amateurs. (I'm currently reading a remarkable book about the Luttrell Psalter, by an art historian - it shows me just how much I didn't know about the Psalter, and how much more a medieval reader would understand from some artistic conventions in the work, that simply pass me by.)
But artistic conventions come from somewhere, and are usually based on some real, original setting.
When Scott Adams sketches a cubicle, desk and monitor, you know he's not drawing a specific setting; he's representing any number of cubicles, for any kind of business, anywhere in the world. We recognize the familiar setting, without having to know the specifics.
So while the hall, table, and dishes in an illumination may not represent a single table, in a single hall, with specific diners on a fixed date, they do represent settings that would be familiar to readers.
And as the illuminations grow more 'realist' though the 15th and 16th c, they include more and more detail, some of which we can confirm from archeological finds, or from written records.
When dozens of artists repeat the same conventions, I feel confident that these conventions are rooted in some real experience - in this case, of noble dining.
SO: from the examples, what can the average 'medieval' feast-goer do to improve their table setting?
Some suggestions:
1. Get a white table cloth - a big one. Linen is nice, a diamond twill pattern is even nicer - making it yourself ensures extra smugness, but not everyone is a weaver. But start with white, for certain.
For some periods, the cloth had blue woven or embroidered decorative motifs, from stripes, to animal designs, referred to by art historians as Perugian towels (bibliographied in detail by Thora Sharptooth).
Compleat Anachronist #114 is dedicated to this particular textile, and comes with weaving instructions.
Historic Enterprises carries reproduction table cloths and towels, for a price.
2. Sling a big napkin over your shoulder. This convention for diners is definitely correct in late period - but perusing the artwork I can see servers as early as the 14th century doing it too. Again, in the later, more detailed images, the Perugian towels are preferred.
3. Use small plates for dining - the size of a side plate or round cheeseboard.
Several of the illuminations show large platters full of food to share, but only very small plates, if any, in front of the diners. This means you serve yourself from a large plate, but only take small amounts at a time.
4. Try a beaker, rather than a tankard, for drinking.
Tankards (ie. beer mugs with handles) may hold more, there seem to be few examples of handled mugs in the illuminations.
The beaker, on the other hand, appears regularly, in both glass and pottery (another example from Historic Enterprises).
While the base is heavier, this modern glass in much the same shape as a Glass beaker from Egypt, dated 13th c.
5. Get a pitcher or flagon, for serving drinks on the table.
There are lots of examples here - not just from artwork, but from finds, such as at the Museum of London.
There's probably more to do, that we could work on, particularly about learning medieval manners. I hope to do some more research, and follow up on this aspect more.
But artistic conventions come from somewhere, and are usually based on some real, original setting.
When Scott Adams sketches a cubicle, desk and monitor, you know he's not drawing a specific setting; he's representing any number of cubicles, for any kind of business, anywhere in the world. We recognize the familiar setting, without having to know the specifics.
So while the hall, table, and dishes in an illumination may not represent a single table, in a single hall, with specific diners on a fixed date, they do represent settings that would be familiar to readers.
And as the illuminations grow more 'realist' though the 15th and 16th c, they include more and more detail, some of which we can confirm from archeological finds, or from written records.
When dozens of artists repeat the same conventions, I feel confident that these conventions are rooted in some real experience - in this case, of noble dining.
SO: from the examples, what can the average 'medieval' feast-goer do to improve their table setting?
Some suggestions:
1. Get a white table cloth - a big one. Linen is nice, a diamond twill pattern is even nicer - making it yourself ensures extra smugness, but not everyone is a weaver. But start with white, for certain.
For some periods, the cloth had blue woven or embroidered decorative motifs, from stripes, to animal designs, referred to by art historians as Perugian towels (bibliographied in detail by Thora Sharptooth).
Compleat Anachronist #114 is dedicated to this particular textile, and comes with weaving instructions.
Historic Enterprises carries reproduction table cloths and towels, for a price.
2. Sling a big napkin over your shoulder. This convention for diners is definitely correct in late period - but perusing the artwork I can see servers as early as the 14th century doing it too. Again, in the later, more detailed images, the Perugian towels are preferred.
3. Use small plates for dining - the size of a side plate or round cheeseboard.
Several of the illuminations show large platters full of food to share, but only very small plates, if any, in front of the diners. This means you serve yourself from a large plate, but only take small amounts at a time.
4. Try a beaker, rather than a tankard, for drinking.
Tankards (ie. beer mugs with handles) may hold more, there seem to be few examples of handled mugs in the illuminations.
The beaker, on the other hand, appears regularly, in both glass and pottery (another example from Historic Enterprises).
While the base is heavier, this modern glass in much the same shape as a Glass beaker from Egypt, dated 13th c.
5. Get a pitcher or flagon, for serving drinks on the table.
There are lots of examples here - not just from artwork, but from finds, such as at the Museum of London.
There's probably more to do, that we could work on, particularly about learning medieval manners. I hope to do some more research, and follow up on this aspect more.
