Amphorae

My last trivia question went unanswered:- "What famous philosopher's skull was found to be missing in 1819 when his coffin was opened nearly two centuries after his death? (Hint: the skull itself, now found, has had an interesting history all its own)" The answer was Descartes, as in Cartesian Philosophy. I highly recommend the book 'Descartes' Bones' by Russell Shorto, which details not only the philosopher's life, but the meandering journey of his body after death and the spread of his ideas up to the modern era. It's a fascinating read, and far more entertaining than one would expect. Let's return to questions of fashion with this next one, shall we? Some Victorian mothers, frustrated by their daughters' attempts to loosen (or altogether escape from) their corsets at night during corset-training, took to doing this to prevent them being able to untie themselves.

Roger II's Mantle lining Back to the trivia, now that we've all had fun drooling over the coronation mantle of Roger II. Let's turn our attention back to something more macabre. What famous philosopher's skull was found to be missing in 1819 when his coffin was opened nearly two centuries after his death? (Hint: the skull itself, now found, has had an interesting history all its own)

No takers? Well, it was a hard one when I asked:- "There is a coronation mantle called a Pluviale which was constructed c.1133A.D., features over 100,000 pearls, was worn by more than 47 rulers, and is still in existence today. Who was it originally made for?" The answer was Roger II, and more information about the textile trove, including mantle, shoes, and repair kit, can be found  here . For now here are a few more pictures, just to whet your appetite.

As the school year winds down I look forward to having more time over the summer to blog, but for now will content myself with a new round of trivia. Last time I asked:- "This famous imposter was feted both in Europe and America throughout the 20th century before dying in Charlottesville, VA in 1984." Cassidy correctly guessed that it was Anna Anderson, who asserted that she was the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia for decades. As her grave is not far from where I live, perhaps I should take a daytrip to see it. For our next trivia question I'll test your knowledge of textiles history. There is a coronation mantle called a Pluviale which was constructed c.1133A.D., features over 100,000 pearls, was worn by more than 47 rulers, and is still in existence today. Who was it originally made for? It's like trivia meets a scavenger hunt, and the result is well worth finding!

As most of you undoubtedly already know, this week marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's famous novel "Pride and Prejudice", but, can you name the originally intended title of the book?

Last time the question was:- "Requisitioned during WWII and unavailable to most women, when this item was back in stock and available to the public it caused riots as women scrambled to stock up." Banker Chick chimed in with the correct answer, which was "Nylons". Yes, I have trouble explaining to my students sometimes why women went so crazy over nylon stockings, and they think the images of girls painting seams into the back of their legs are very funny. Come to think of it, I find that amusing as well. This week I'm asking:- What is a morgengifu ? (Hint: It's an anglo-saxon word)

Time for more trivia! Requisitioned during WWII and unavailable to most women, when this item was back in stock and available to the public it caused riots as women scrambled to stock up.

lahbluebonnet made a valiant attempt at guessing the answer to the last trivia question (which was far too long ago, my apologies):- "The name of this architectural feature comes from the old french word for "throat" as they were used to channel water. Their usefulness in warding off evil spirits came later and is up for debate." The answer is "gargoyle", which comes from the old French for "throat". If you think of words like "gargle" and "gorget" it makes sense. A close look at the photo to the left will reveal that the water was channeled off of and away from the building through a spout in the mouth of the figure. This one is from St. Vitus' cathedral, and is appropriately scary as we approach Halloween. The trivia for today is more of a question for all of you:- What character, historical or otherwise, are you dressing as for Halloween? Or, if you don't participate in such a holiday (as I know many of my ...

Well, I am a little late with the trivia question this week due to a holiday on Monday and the busyness of working two jobs at present. Last week's query was:- What 17th century composer was portrayed by Gerard and Guillaume Depardieu in the movie Tous Les Matins du Monde? Solene, in France, correctly answered that it was Marin Marais. If you haven't seen the movie, Solene and I both highly recommend it. This week I'll give you an easy one since there is less time to guess:- What famous artisan is honored by today's Google Doodle, seen above?

Trivia Monday got off to a good start with the question "What were the two styles of women's hoods prevalent at the court of Henry VIII?" An Anonymous visitor responded with the correct answer, which is the Gable hood and the French hood, as seen below respectively. The Gable hood came first and was gradually replaced in popularity by the French hood, which was rumored to be a fashion brought back to England by the young Anne Boleyn, who had served at the French court. On to the trivia question for this week:- Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queene was written as an allegorical work in favor of what monarch?