Material Culture and Queenship in 14th-Century France: The Testament of Blanche of Navarre 1331-1398 (Art and Material Culture in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, 5)

In Material Culture and Queenship in 14th-century France: The Testament of Blanche of Navarre (1331-1398) Marguerite Keane considers the object collection of the long-lived fourteenth-century French queen Blanche of Navarre, the wife of Philip VI (d. 1350). This queen's ownership of works of art (books, jewelry, reliquaries, and textiles, among others) and her perceptions of these objects is well -documented because she wrote detailed testaments in 1396 and 1398 in which she described her possessions and who she wished to receive them. Keane connects the patronage of Blanche of Navarre to her interest in her status and reputation as a dowager queen, as well as bringing to life the material, adornment, and devotional interests of a medieval queen and her household. Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 List of Figures and Tables 10 Notes on Translation, Citation, and Names 12 Introduction 14 Chapter 1 32 The Life and Patronage of Blanche of Navarre 32 Conflict with the Monks of Saint-Denis 46 Childhood and Marriage 54 Widowhood and Early Commissions 57 The Dowager Queen as Mediator: Charles of Navarre and the Hundred Years War 65 The Dowager Queen at Home and at Court 69 Chapter 2 74 The Testament: Legal Document and Sentimental Autobiography 74 Chapter 3 90 Books as Evidence to Perpetuate Memory 90 Chapter 4 129 Reliquaries, Altarpieces, and Paintings 129 Devotional Spaces within the Household 132 Reliquaries 139 Chapter 5 164 Wearable Reliquaries, Metalwork, and Gems 164 The Reliquary Belt of Philip VI 166 Reliquary Brooches 169 Heirloom Diamonds 172 Heirloom Rosaries 179 The Queen’s Crowns and Sealing Ring 182 Chapter 6 191 Textiles: Vestments, Wall Hangings, and Clothing 191 Conclusions 215 Appendices: Gifts and Their Recipients 219 1 Gifts of Books 219 2 Gifts of Reliquaries, Altarpieces, and Paintings 225 3 Gifts of Wearable Reliquaries, Metalwork, and Gems 233 4 Gifts of Textiles 239 Bibliography 244 Index 268 "In Material Culture and Queenship in 14th-century France : The Testament of Blanche of Navarre (1331-1398) Marguerite Keane considers the object collection of the long-lived fourteenth-century French queen Blanche of Navarre, the wife of Philip VI (d. 1350). This queen's ownership of works of art (books, jewelry, reliquaries, and textiles, among others) and her perceptions of these objects is well-documented because she wrote detailed testaments in 1396 and 1398 in which she described her possessions and who she wished to receive them. Keane connects the patronage of Blanche of Navarre to her interest in her status and reputation as a dowager queen, as well as bringing to life the material, adornment, and devotional interests of a medieval queen and her household"--Provided by publisher