Middle+Ages+Artifacts


 * Mirror Back with Falconing Party || Trebuchet || Medieval Priest Prays for Plague Victims ||

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 * The image above is a sculpted mirror back. This piece of art shows a form of medieval literature. Some of the ways that people in the middle ages kept records was by forming sculptures and paintings. This sculpture depicts a gathering of people on horses. There are trees in the background, so it is probably in some sort of forest. This mirror back shows that people in the middle ages were very talented and developed with their art skills. Even if the person who made this could not write, they used a very detailed picture to explain. || This illustration of a medieval trebuchet shows how complex and advanced the weapon was. In the image, it takes two men just to push the lever that will release the weight. The complex structure for the beams and the ropes shows how much thought was put into the making of this weapon. Socially, this technology effected the middle ages because of it's power. Whoever had this trebuchet during war would have a great advantage because of it's immense destruction and powerful force. This would have created successful empires who won many battles. || In this image, a priest is shown praying for dead plague victims. The priest is down on his knees, holding a cross and a bible, administering rites to the victims. Socially, this image depicts how many people abandoned their loved ones to stay alive. The priest is the only one around; even the family of the deceased are not risking their health to say goodbye to their family and friends. People became desperate and scared during the time of the plague, and this image shows how selfish people became. Also, the priests were often the only people who still worshiped God. In the time of the Black Death, people couldn't fathom how God could kill so many people while letting others live. Furthermore, in the background, there is a cart of bodies. So many people were dying that they had carts go around and collect the dead from the houses. ||
 * Armor of George Clifford, Third Earl of Cumberland || The Worcester Fragments || Figures in a Rose Garden ||
 * [[image:cooperhmuseum/armor_of_george_clifford.jpg width="227" height="411" align="center"]] || [[image:cooperhmuseum/the_worcester_fragments.jpg width="252" height="387" align="center"]] || [[image:cooperhmuseum/figures_in_a_rose_garden.jpg width="315" height="295" align="center"]] ||
 * This image is a photograph of a suit of armor. It appears to have been made for a successful knight, because it is finely decorated and good quality. Also, the knight must have been fairly wealthy because on the chest, it is monogrammed with "E E", which may have been a family crest of some sort. Economically, this image shows that knights may have had money. Socially, it shows that different knights had different standings within the class of knight. The quality and elegance of this knight's armor shows that different knights could afford different armor. || This page of music is an excerpt from a collection of music called the Worcester Fragments. The Worcester Fragments is 15 leaves of polyphonic music. It was recovered from bindings of Bodleian Manuscripts, and is interspersed with photostats of fragments from other libraries. This image shows that although the Middle Ages was a time of disease and war, it was also a time of culture. People had time to create musical compositions and enjoyed spending time developing culture. Economically, this music shows that people had enough money to purchase or make the parchment, and had time and effort to record the musical composition, and most likely had time to practice and perform it. This image also shows that music had a social impact on the Middle Ages. When someone created music, they would most likely want to perform for someone, or have someone perform for them. Since this music is very basic, it could probably be performed by a variety of instruments, and so a group of people could get together and perform it. || The above image was originally a tapestry of wool, silk, and metallic weft yarns created in 1450 to 1455. The tapestry displays fashion of the Medieval era. The woman was most likely a noble who had various people of lower classes serving her. All three of the people in the image have hats and headdresses, but the woman's is by far the most extravagant and elegant. She is wearing a long dress and expensive looking neclaces. In the image, the woman is much taller than the other two men, which most likely means that the artist viewed the woman higher than the others. She is taller, meaning that she is the most important. The two servants or peasants are wearing tunics and hats which are less intricately designed than the woman's attire. They seem to be offering the woman flowers and gifts and are trying to please her. Once again, this makes me think that the woman is a noble and the two men are serving her. ||
 * Chasuble ||  ||   ||
 * [[image:cooperhmuseum/chasuble.jpg width="257" height="413"]] ||  ||   ||
 * This garment is a chasuble, or the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy. A liturgical vestment was basically a robe worn during religious ceremonies. The chasuble is made of silver and silver-gilt thread and colored silks in underside couching, split stitch, laid-and-couched work, and raised work, with pearls on velvet. The robe is intricately designed with figures praying, offering gifts, and other designs or beings. This artifact reflects the superiority of clergy during the time. This makes me suspect that the person who would have worn this robe must have been relatively wealthy to afford such a garment. The materials used to make this are very expensive; silver, pearls, and velvet. By what I can gather, almost all clergy wore chasubles similar to this. ||  ||   ||

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