The material culture and social practice of dining in England, c.1550-c.1670
This thesis provides the first sustained study of the material culture of dining among the gentry and âmiddling sortâ in early modern England. It focuses on the religious and ritual significance of the shared dining experience, interrogating the role objects played in engendering domestic commensality. The project establishes that through their material properties and ritualized uses, objects such as salt-cellars, eating utensils and banqueting trenchers, were essential instruments in the construction and communication of personal and social identities. I argue that developments in the material paraphernalia of dining functioned to create a sense of continuity and community during this period of profound religious and social change. Chapter One applies the anthropological theory of âdistributed personhoodâ to salt-cellars, offering new insights into why salts were considered particularly effective objects for conveying identity. Chapter Two draws connections between eating utensils and significant moments in the life cycle and argues that utensils could have strong âpersonalâ associations, which commemorated essential rites of passage and functioned as perpetual reminders of familial ties. Chapter
Jackson, Victoria Ann
DA Great Britain ; GT Manners and customs
The material culture and social practice of dining in England, c.1550-c.1670. This thesis provides the first sustained study of the material culture of dining among the gentry and âmiddling sortâ in early modern England. It focuses on the religious and ritual significance of the shared dining experience, interrogating the role objects played in engendering domestic commensality. The project establishes that through their material properties and ritualized uses, objects such as salt-cellars, eating utensils and banqueting trenchers, were essential instruments in the construction and communication of personal and social identities. I argue that developments in the material paraphernalia of dining functioned to create a sense of continuity and community during this period of profound religious and social change. Chapter One applies the anthropological theory of âdistributed personhoodâ to salt-cellars, offering new insights into why salts were considered particularly effective objects for conveying identity. Chapter Two draws connections between eating utensils and significant moments in the life cycle and argues that utensils could have strong âpersonalâ associations, which commemorated essential rites of passage and functioned as perpetual reminders of familial ties. Chapter
material_culture social_practice din england provide_first sustain study material_culture dining among gentry middle_sort early_modern_england focus religious_ritual significance share din experience interrogate role object play engender domestic project establish material_property ritualize object salt eat essential instrument construction communication personal_social identity argue development material din create sense continuity community period profound religious social_change apply anthropological_theory distribute personhood salt offer_new insight salt consider particularly effective object convey identity draws connection eat significant moment life_cycle argue could strong personal association commemorate essential rite_passage function perpetual familial tie