Alternately titled “wherein we learn the Italian art of how to use a salad recipe to insult both the Germans and the English”. Intro The expressions “throw shade“, “throwing shade“, or simply “shade“, are slang terms for a certain type of insult, often nonverbal. Anna Holmes called shade “the art of the sidelong insult”. Merriam-Webster defines it … More Throwing Shade Renaissance Style
I found an extant gamurra for a pious working class woman in Mantova circa 1496! Apparel of: Osanna Andreasi Date Created: 1496 Here is the information on Osanna and her dress from Google Art & Culture: This garment, that the tradition associates to the person of the Blessed Osanna, was a long dress, tight in the upper part … More The Extant Gamurra of Beata Osanna
Totae Tabulae (Tavole Reale) Here is my research on a board (or tables) game from 1526 played on the Italian Peninsula. In the instructions written by Cardano* it is played with 15 pieces and 2 dice for each player. Game: Totae Tabulae /Tavole Reale Number of Players: 2 Materials Needed: Tables board (Tavola), 15 … More The (Italian) Mother of Backgammon
Is this the face of the woman who introduced Amaretto to the world? According to legend, In 1525, Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo da Vinci’s pupils, was commissioned to paint the sanctuary of a church in Saronno, Italy and needed a model to portray the Madonna, the patron saint of the church. He eventually happened … More Amaretto from 1525
My love affair with Titian’s painting has led me to compile research on the style of coat featured in it. I call it the Turkish Venetian coat. The painting is Portrait of a Lady by Titian done in 1555 and housed at the National Gallery of Art in DC. Throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, … More Turkish Venetian Gown & Coat
Last year at Pennsic I got hooked on the idea of replacing our modern Coleman cooler with a wooden box in the style of an historical box from the 14th C. I chose this box from the Victoria and Albert Musuem as a reasonable size for our needs. Historically, this was a ‘grain ark’, that […] … More An historical cooler box — Silverforge Portfolio
CATERINA SFORZA’S GLI EXPERIMENTI: A TRANSLATION During the Renaissance beauty products and herbal medicines were made in the workshops of monasteries, still rooms of homes large and small, or by alchemists in their storefronts. These arts were part of traditions handed down from Arab, Roman, Greek, and Turkish cultures. Every family had its own book … More Books By Giata: Translation of Gli Experimenti and Zibaldone
So now that temperatures mimicking the seventh level of Hades are approaching I thought it might be a grand time to talk about Roman clothing. Done correctly, it is still several layers of foolishness… but if those layers are lightweight linen you’ll fare better in 95 degree weather with 70% humidity. #avoidheatstrokeifyoucan For my basic … More Roman Clothing
Giata’s Late 15th Century Gamurra Introduction My post on early renaissance fashion covers the technical terms for the dresses of the 14th and 15th centuries here. Now, I want to talk more about my first foray into making an outfit entirely on my own. I have never had formal sewing instruction. I walked the path to my … More My 15th Century Gamurra Project I
I was looking at a few of the alberelli (plural) online because I happened to meet a few artisans interested in making some for the historical apothecary. I wanted to show you all a few images of extant pieces and then think about the common threads between them all. My heraldic colors are red and … More Italian Renaissance Apothecary Jar – The Alberello
La Bella Donna 