Don't forget the racial meaning, e.g. Othello., which differs from the
Masque of Blackness. Virginia Mason Vaughan, Othello: A Contextual
History has lots of good material, some of it 16thC. Bill Oram
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Dear listmembers,
I am interested in the different ways in which blackness was perceived
in
the 16thC.
I have noted the following uses:
1. To denote the macabre / supernatural. Death, Hell, Fiends, etc. (as
in
the Fairie Queene).
2. To denote a bleaching agent used in the preparation of leather
(OED)
3. To denote the presence of divine light (as a Metaphysical conceit,
which
draws on a Byzantine spiritual convention e.g. Herbert's Sonnet of
Black
Beauty)
4. To denote an inversion of values (in Barnfield's Affectionate
Shepheard
and perhaps Jonson's Masque of Blackness, though the approach is
different
in
each of these)
Thoughts on the above uses and any comments you may have would be very
welcome.
My context is the examination of possible subtexts in the use of black
in
fashion and embroidery during the period.
Any suggestions of other possible avenues of exploration would be
gratefully
received.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Leon Conrad
London, UK
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