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Musical sound and material culture
The material culture of the past is often treated as silent. Although sixteenth-century texts comment on the ‘racket’ of wooden shoes during dances1 or the ‘noise of plates and knives’ in a kitchen during the preparation of a meal,2 when we examine such historical objects today, their cacophony is forgotten.3 Yet the range of sounds objects made – and the cultural and economic forces required to produce those sounds – can reveal valuable information that mute examinations ignore. In this chapter on music and material culture I will consider how we can explore international trade, collaborations between craftsmen, aesthetic choices and fashions, and changing social practices and values in the early modern period by listening to musical objects.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Publisher
RoutlegeExternal DOI
Pages
506.0Book title
The Routledge handbook of material culture in early modern EuropePlace of publication
LondonISBN
9781409462699Series
Routledge History HandbooksDepartment affiliated with
- Art History Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes