Bootspurs of the Early Modern Period Newfoundland

For researchers of art history or archaeology of the early modern period, evidence must be viewed through a multidisciplinary eye in order to understand all aspects of culture. Objects which become popular as a costume component can serve as markers for change in culture. This paper will demonstrate...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mathias, Catherine
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Material Culture Review / Revue de la culture matérielle 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/25563
Description
Summary:For researchers of art history or archaeology of the early modern period, evidence must be viewed through a multidisciplinary eye in order to understand all aspects of culture. Objects which become popular as a costume component can serve as markers for change in culture. This paper will demonstrate the value of one such marker, the bootspur of the 17th century. Examples are taken from an archaeological site in Ferryland, Newfoundland, and from the British Museum. Note that when using this type of research material, there is an additional limitation, that of burial environment. We may never get the whole story because, depending on the material of manufacture, some objects will survive burial and others will not. Les chercheurs en histoire de l’art ou en archéologie spécialisés dans les débuts de l’époque moderne doivent porter un regard multidisciplinaire sur les données afin de comprendre tous les aspects de la culture. Les objets qui acquièrent une popularité en tant que composante du costume peuvent servir de marqueurs de changement culturel. Cet article démontrera la valeur de l’un de ces marqueurs, l’éperon du XVIIe siècle. Les exemples proviennent d’un site archéologique, celui de Ferryland, à Terre-Neuve, et du British Museum. Il faut noter que lorsque l’on utilise ce type de matériau de recherche, il existe une limitation supplémentaire, celle de l’environnement des fouilles. Il se peut que nous ne puissions jamais connaître toute l’histoire, en fonction du matériau de fabrication, puisque certains objets survivront à leur enfouissement, et d’autres non.