Domestic materiality in a remarkable European city How did citizens in Bruges create a home? What did an ordinary domestic interior look like in the sixteenth century? And more importantly: how does one study the domestic culture of bygone times by analysing documents such as probate inventories? These questions seem straightforward, yet few endeavours are more challenging than reconstructing a sixteenth-century domestic reality from written sources. This book takes full advantage of the inventory and convincingly frames household objects in their original context of use. Meticulously connecting objects, people and domestic spaces, the book introduces the reader to the rich material world of Bruges citizens in the Renaissance, their sensory engagement, their religious practice, the role of women, and other social factors. By weaving insights from material culture studies with urban history, At Home in Renaissance Bruges offers an appealing and holistic mixture of in-depth socio-economic, cultural and material analysis. In its approach the book goes beyond heavy-handed theories and stereotypes about the exquisite taste of aristocratic elites, focusing instead on the domestic materiality of Bruges’ middling groups. Evocatively illustrated with contemporary paintings from Bruges and beyond, this monograph shows a nuanced picture of domestic materiality in a remarkable European city. How did citizens in Bruges create a home? What did an ordinary domestic interior look like in the sixteenth century? And more importantly: how does one study the domestic culture of bygone times by analysing documents such as probate inventories? These questions seem straightforward, yet few endeavours are more challenging than reconstructing a sixteenth-century domestic reality from written sources. This book takes full advantage of the inventory and convincingly frames household objects in their original context of use. Meticulously connecting objects, people and domestic spaces, the book introduces the reader to the rich material world of Bruges citizens in the Renaissance, their sensory engagement, their religious practice, the role of women, and other social factors. By weaving insights from material culture studies with urban history, At Home in Renaissance Bruges offers an appealing and holistic mixture of in-depth socio-economic, cultural and material analysis. In its approach the book goes beyond heavy-handed theories and stereotypes about the exquisite taste of aristocratic elites, focusing instead on the domestic materiality of Bruges’ middling groups. Evocatively illustrated with contemporary paintings from Bruges and beyond, this monograph shows a nuanced picture of domestic materiality in a remarkable European city. GENERAL INTRODUCTION The Spatial Turn Reclaiming Domesticity At Home in Renaissance Bruges Sources and Challenges The Structure of the Book PART 1 CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: THE ORGANISATION OF DOMESTIC SPACE INTRODUCTION Functional Specialisation: A Subject of Discussion What’s in a Name? The Nomenclature of Domestic Space CONNECTING THE HOUSE TO THE STREET? THE SHOP AND WORKSHOP Introduction ‘Historians and the Nation of Shopkeepers’ Shops and Shopping in Bruges Similarities and Differences: The Broader Picture THE MERCHANT IN THE CONTOOR Introduction The Contoor in Bruges Similarities and Differences: The Broader Picture AT THE HEART OF THE HOME: ROOMS AT THE HEART OF DOMESTIC CULTURE The Kitchen in Bruges Dining Room and Salette The Elusive Realm of Sleep: Sleeping Rooms Similarities and Differences: The Broader Picture PART 2 DOMESTIC OBJECTS IN CONTEXT INTRODUCTION DEVOTION ON DISPLAY? PAINTINGS IN DOMESTIC INTERIORS Introduction What’s in a Name? Possessing Paintings in Fifteenth- and Sixteenth-Century Bruges Canvas and Panel Paintings Paintings and Iconographical Themes Devotion on Display Conclusions FOR PUBLIC ELEGANCE AND PRIVATE COMFORT: TEXTILES AND FURNITURE Introduction Comfort and the Textile Environment The Seat of Authority? The Design and Social Character of Seating Furniture Show Me Your Bed and I’ll Tell You Who You Are! Keeping Up Appearances? Tapestry in the Domestic Interior A Colourful Interior Exposing or Storing Textiles: The Garderobe and the Cleerschaprade Conclusions GENERAL CONCLUSIONS APPENDIX 1: INVENTORY HOLDERS WHO WORKED AT HOME APPENDIX 2: INVENTORIES WITH ‘CONTOOR’ NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATES