medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
A Google search showed a c. 1390 painting by Bertram of Minden, of the
Virgin knitting with 4 needles:
see www.cachelionbrand.com
TGD
>>> Diana Wright <[log in to unmask]> 01/11/07 2:28 PM >>>
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
culture
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
culture
>
> Dear Chris,
> I would be very grateful for your knitting references. I'm working on
a
> monograph concerning female spirituality in late Medieval Germany and
in one
> chapter I deal with "women's work"--especially the textile arts. I
would be
> most grateful for help.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> June L. Mecham, Ph.D.
>
>
> Dr. Richard Rutt has several photos of "knitting Madonnas" in his _A
History of
> Hand Knitting_ (Interweave Press) and a detailed discussion of
knitting history
> as well. I'll be interested to hear what Lynn White had to say, since
I think he
> was writing rather earlier and I haven't seen his article. There are
other
> needle techniques that are easily confused with knitting unless the
thread paths
> are carefully analyzed.
>
> I'll see what I can turn up in the way of other photos -- some are
rather
> difficult to find, especially in color. I have quite a lot of
knitting-history
> resources available for anyone interested -- apparently knitting was a
"hot" new
> technology in 13th-14th century Western Europe. (It dates to perhaps
the 8th or
> 10th century in the Middle East.) The knitting madonna paintings
aren't
> necessarily accurate depictions of knitting, but they do show that
knitting was
> known and was thought of as an appropriate activity for a woman at
home. Some of
> the paintings also incorporate references to the instruments of the
Passion,
> giving the knitting needles a rather more sinister significance ;)
>
>
>
> There is also an altarpiece by Zaortiga (IIRC) that shows the Virgin
enthroned,
> surrounded by female saints busy with a variety of domestic tasks,
including
> knitting and (what's even more rare) fingerloop braiding.
>
> (Wearing my "textile historian" hat....)
> ____________________________________________________________
> 0 Chris Laning
> |
I am wondering if the early knitting Virgins are in part influenced by
the Byzantine spinning Virgins that were taken into Western are. They
are based on the Protoevangelium story, but apparently the West early
lost trace of what the red thing in her hand was, & turned it into a
book. The Orthodox had the tradition of the Homeric queens, all of whom
are shown spinning or weaving luxury fabrics, as well as the spinning
Virgin who was also working on luxury fabric.
DW
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