3 posts tagged “art”

In the twelfth century there was the rise of the city in Europe, along with the rise in trade, travel, and universities. These changes in society also influenced the lives of women. Women were allowed to head their spouses' businesses, if they were widowed. Women also became more active in illumination. Many women worked alongside their husbands or fathers, including the daughter of Maitre Honore and the daughter of Jean le Noir. By the 13th century, most illuminated manuscripts were being produced by commercial workshops, and by the end of the Middle Ages, when production of manuscripts had become an important industry in certain centers, women seem to have represented a majority of the artists, and scribes, employed, especially in Paris.

I processed a lot of the manuscripts on a research, and I found a lot about the women in the Middle Ages. Especially, about the ones with artistic talents. In the Medieval period, women often worked alongside men. They created manuscript illuminations, embroideries, and carved capitals and what-not. Documents show that they also were brewers, butchers, wool merchants, and iron mongers. Women who were artists, often were of two literate classes, either wealthy aristocratic women or nuns. Women in the former category often created embroideries and textiles. Those in the later category often produced illuminations, and even composed church music.

There are even more mysteries that surround the origin of the Silk Road network. Nobody could clearly explain one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century - so called Tarim mummies. The number of mummies were found deep in China, they date from 1800 BC to AD 200. And all found corpses exhibit Caucasoid physical type. Many of discovered mummies were found in amazingly great condition. They have their hair physically intact, ranging in color from blond to red to deep brown, and generally long, curly and braided. And what is even more amazing - their costumes indicate a common origin with Indo-European neolithic clothing techniques.

Another mystery that supports the theories of early human contacts between East and West were several discoveries of Chinese silk remnants. These remnants have been found in Ancient Egypt from 1070 BC and later.

I mentioned in the previous entry ancient Scythians. It seems that they brought from the West and introduced in China the most valuable metal of all - gold. This probably happened around eight century BC. It seems that the impact was deep because Chinese jade carvers began to use gold to make imitation Scythian designs of the steppes. They easily adopted the Scythian style animal art like descriptions of animals locked in combat. Scientists also found in China imitations of Scythian rectangular belt plaques made of gold and bronze with alternate versions in jade and steatite.

I am so glad to find myself in this online community - Vox.com. Lots of people here enjoy free membership, they share their interests, hobbies, photos, and notes. I enjoy History, Astrology, Genealogy, Classical Music, Art and Literature. I want to share my interests with you. I write about biographies of famous people, myths and mysteries and other interesting topics.