History

Containing Violence in the Language of Honor

Authors, History, Italian Expressions, Research Notes, Three Sisters, Writing Process, Zizola /

I have been reading Thomas V. Cohen's Love and Death in Renaissance Italy, a fascinating study of crime reports, for the information they reveal about life and language in the 16th century (the setting of my WIP). Detailed handwritten depositions of criminal cases recorded the testimonies of everyone from the kitchen boy, the serving girls,

Containing Violence in the Language of Honor Read More »

How To Do It In the Renaissance

1 Comment / Authors, Book Reviews, Books, Commedia, Family, History, Motherhood, Research Notes, Writing Process, Zizola /

Lately, I have been re-reading Rudolph M. Bell's How To Do It, Guides to Good Living for Renaissance Italians — a terrific social history of how Italians viewed their lives from the 15th to the 17th century. Italians were fairly literate then (the publishing industry was booming). There was a proliferation of self-help and advice

How To Do It In the Renaissance Read More »

Samurai Armor: The Textile Quality of the Woven, Knotted, and Tied Armor Plates.

1 Comment / Artists, Fiber Arts, History, Japonisme, Martial Arts, Warriors /

As a knitter and a weaver, I was so struck by how much handwork there was involving knotting, netting, and the interlacing of reeds, braided threads, slivers of metal, and leather in the making of the various armor plates covering the chest, back, top of the hips and arms. While relatively light to wear compared

Samurai Armor: The Textile Quality of the Woven, Knotted, and Tied Armor Plates. Read More »

Pietro Aretino and The Sixteen Pleasures

1 Comment / Artists, Authors, Books, History, Poetry, Research Notes, The Innamorati /

      Let me confess: I'm utterly fascinated by the enigmatic Renaissance rebel poet Pietro Aretino. His writings, which often led to him evading furious cardinals and creditors, and his correspondences with influential men who could have potentially blackmailed them earned him the moniker 'Scourge of Princes.' Aretino's life was a captivating juxtaposition of

Pietro Aretino and The Sixteen Pleasures Read More »

“From A Friend,” the Art of the Calling Card

12 Comments / Albums, Artists, Calling Cards, Family, History, Illustrators, Memoir, Paper Art, Silliness, Snyder Farms, Visual Arts /

I have been going through a cigar box of collected calling cards from my great grandmother and I am astonished by the variety of pretty designs combined with the elegant scripts. It just seems such a lovely convention and I am rather sorry we don’t do it anymore. Now we hand out “business cards” which

“From A Friend,” the Art of the Calling Card Read More »

Tearing Up The Canals: The Women’s Regatta in Venice, 18th Century

4 Comments / History, Women's Work, Writing Process, Zizola /

 I am rather in love with this painting of the Women's Regatta in Venice by Gabriele Bella, 1730-1799 (click on for a larger view). I had no idea that women were accomplished rowers, though it does on reflection make a certain amount of sense. If one lives on the waters and the canals, or course

Tearing Up The Canals: The Women’s Regatta in Venice, 18th Century Read More »

Drunken Tengu: Masters of the Sword and Drink

Animals, Artists, Folklore, History, Japonisme, Visual Arts /

Among the more celebrated Japanese tricksters are the Tengu. These peculiar half-human, half-bird (sometimes hawk-like, sometimes more vulture) creatures are famous for their love of sake and their abilities with the sword. In fact, part of their mythology is that the tengu created the unique Japanese style of kendo, and were responsible for teaching it

Drunken Tengu: Masters of the Sword and Drink Read More »