Artesanos - History Lab

Portrait of Bernardo Muñoz

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:14 +0000

The image shows the gold and silver assayer, Bernardo Muñoz. At the top of the image we can read: “Situazion en la que D. Bernardo Muñoz egecuta los ensayes de oro i plata – i su retrato”. The portrait of this assayer, one of the most outstanding figures in the organisation of the silversmiths’ guilds in the Modern Age, dedicated to the recognition of the quality of the pieces, is an image of great interest for two reasons: firstly, because it allows us to observe the work space where he carried out his work as an assayer; secondly, because it is an excellent resource for analysing elements linked to everyday life and customs of the time. In this sense, the image allows us to analyse the gesture of the figure himself, as well as some representative elements such as the wig he wears and his clothes, typical of a person of economic solvency who is more akin to an artist than a manufacturing craftsman.

The post Portrait of Bernardo Muñoz first appeared on History Lab.

Engraving of the figure of St. Eloy, patron saint of silversmiths

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:14 +0000

The image represents an engraving by Fray Matías de Irala, dated 1733, which was incorporated as the back cover of the ordinances of the Board of Trade and Currency of 1771, reissued in 1831, concerning the practice of silversmithing. In this image we see Saint Eloy, the patron saint of silversmiths, on a pedestal adorned with the coat of arms of the city of Malaga, while above him two angels hold the coat of arms of King Philip V. The figure of the saint, in turn, is surrounded by six biblical figures: Moses, Beselel, Hyrán, Tare, Oliab and Solomon, all with recognisable attributes linked to silversmithing. Above them all is the motto: “Artis honor caelique dequs regumque potestas et saces antistes aureus Eligius”.

The post Engraving of the figure of St. Eloy, patron saint of silversmiths first appeared on History Lab.

17th century court gloves

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:19 +0000

Leather gloves with large silk cuffs trimmed with an embroidered appliqué in metallic threads and twisted threads with floral motifs. The cuffs are decorated with Spanish knitted lace with sequin appliqué. They belonged to Mary Chafin of Zeals but were previously owned by Colonel Troyte Bullock

The post 17th century court gloves first appeared on History Lab.

Silk Hump

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:19 +0000

Silk hampers with grey warp-flowing floats and zigzag and scroll decoration. Short to the waist, it is made from four panels: two at the front and two at the back. The front panels have a deep peak which is closed with 25 buttonholes corresponding to the buttons with a wooden core and lined with a small cord forming a taffeta weave. The doublet was a close-fitting garment, basically for men, which covered the trunk of the body, usually with skirts. It could be sleeveless, or have fixed or replacement sleeves. It was usually padded with bird feathers, cotton or layers of fabric and was worn with tights. It is a garment that forms part of some folk costumes in various countries and regions.

The post Silk Hump first appeared on History Lab.

Genealogy of the Fernández de Moratín family in Madrid (17th-19th century)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:36 +0000

This genealogy reconstructs the Fernández de Moratín family from their arrival in Madrid from the Lugar de Moratín (Asturias) until the Napoleonic invasion. The silversmith’s work was strongly linked to the surname from the time of their establishment at the Madrid court, and they even became part of the guardhouse of Queen Isabella of Farnese. Subsequently, and in the heat of the socio-political transformations that characterised Spain between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, the family strategies were oriented towards the relationship with intellectual and administrative sectors of the capital, with prominent figures such as the writer Leandro Fernández de Moratín and the politician Gumersindo Fernández de Moratín, cousin of the former, among others.

The post Genealogy of the Fernández de Moratín family in Madrid (17th-19th century) first appeared on History Lab.

Fragment of the genealogy of the Gálvez de Antequera family (18th century)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:36 +0000

In this fragment of the genealogy of the Gálvez family, based in Antequera since the end of the 17th century, we can observe the intergenerational transmission of the craftsman’s trade ascribed to the surname, in this case, circumscribed to goldsmith work. It should be pointed out that, despite the stereotyping of craftsmanship, we do not always find a transmission as accentuated as that visible in the case of the Gálvez family, so that, although some families did operate under these reproductive criteria, we cannot generalise without first contextualising the economic and social environment in which it took place.

The post Fragment of the genealogy of the Gálvez de Antequera family (18th century) first appeared on History Lab.

Average value of marriage dowries by artisan guilds. Albacete, 1646-1760.

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:31 +0000

The matrimonial dowry was an amount of movable or immovable property that the woman had to contribute to the marriage. It was a way of transmitting property between families, giving rise to a marriage market that sought consolidation or social advancement. This reproduction strategy was used by lineages and tended towards endogamy between the different social groups. The value of dowries was a reflection of the family’s economic situation: the higher the dowry, the wealthier the family that provided it. Consequently, the study of dowries can determine the material conditions of households according to their economic activity. An example of this is the city of Albacete. Between 1646 and 1760, within the group of artisans, the dowry could vary significantly according to the branch of production carried out. Thus, while the average value of the dowry for espadrille makers was 1,211 reales, that of boilermakers rose to 9,185 reales. Blacksmiths, hairdressers, weavers, riggers and carpenters were in the middle bracket, with figures ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 reais. The coveted trade of coppersmith is a reflection of the fact that the social prestige, material work and economic status of this group meant a good opportunity for a profitable marriage.

The post Average value of marriage dowries by artisan guilds. Albacete, 1646-1760. first appeared on History Lab.

Sectors and professional groups in Zamora (1561)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:25 +0000

Based on the analysis of the socio-professional structures provided by some modern-day censuses and neighbourhoods, the author attempts to assess the situation in Zamora in the mid-16th century. The traditional division between primary, secondary and tertiary activities is an artificial resource due to the mixed occupations, but it does help to understand the main occupation within the labour activity of the active population.
In the cities, as opposed to the much more ruralised suburbs, where the primary sector takes precedence over the rest, there is usually a central nucleus dedicated to craft and service trades. It is in this urban case where the demographic weight of the city is maintained, and where the author focuses on analysing the professional structure in more detail. The detailed analysis shows that by volume, the secondary sector accounts for more than half of the active population of the urban area, followed by the tertiary sector with 38.10% and the primary sector employing practically a tenth of the population.

The post Sectors and professional groups in Zamora (1561) first appeared on History Lab.

Receivers of loans in Segovia (1503-1508)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:25 +0000

Using the case of Segovia, the author aims to shed light on this urban centre at the beginning of the 16th century, trying to explain rationally why this Castilian city (like many others) grew around 1500 and underwent profound social transformations. The thesis of the article proposes that from the mid-15th century until the end of the 16th century, the Castilian nobility of the cities invested part of their profits in favour of merchants and artisans, seeking to obtain a near return in exchange. The main source of wealth for the nobility – the social group that lent the most – was the rent from land
Thanks to the first notarial protocols preserved in Segovia, it is possible to verify the credit at the beginning of the 16th century and the operations that were carried out. It is striking how little monetary attention was paid to the rural sector, as these neighbours managed to receive only 7.3% of the total money lent, despite the fact that they outstripped the city’s neighbours in terms of operations. Urban merchants, on the other hand, were the group that received the largest amount, close to 40% of the total.

The post Receivers of loans in Segovia (1503-1508) first appeared on History Lab.

Distribution of the population according to social groups in Navahermosa (Toledo) in 1752

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:52 +0000

Navahermosa formed part (1243-1837) of the Montes y Propios de Toledo, a lordship in the hands of the city, which appointed the authorities and administered justice through the Fiel Juzgado. Its population experienced a notable quantitative growth in the little more than one hundred years between 1752 and 1877. From the 1,874 inhabitants recorded in the Ensenada Cadastre, it grew to 3,217 in the 1877 census. The growth, which must have been vegetative in the first instance, was due to the arrival of immigrants, whose presence is common in the parish registers from the second decade of the 19th century. The existence of the social division of labour within a society meant that, on occasions, certain members of a family were involved in different productive processes. Each family unit occupied a place in the social division of labour determined by the head of the family, even if some of its members had a different activity. In functionalist terms, we assume that the social position of a family was primarily determined by the socially ascribed valuation and the social role played by the head of the family. The category of farmers is the result of an aggregation of neighbours to whom the Cadastre of 1752 gives various designations. In its conformation, everything indicates that, in the majority of cases, the day labourers cultivated their own land, alternating this work with the work they carried out as wage labourers. These circumstances placed them in a somewhat precarious position. The day labourers were able to find relief from their situation thanks to the exploitation rights of the inhabitants of the villages in the mountains and in the city of Toledo. The group of craftsmen was made up of potters, wheelwrights, tailors, masons, shoemakers and weavers, among others; under the term “professionals” we have gathered together eight residents who worked as doctors, surgeons, apothecaries, surveyors, notaries, teachers of the first letters, sacristans and sacristans. Within the group of the poor, widows without property were added to those classified as the solemnly poor.

The post Distribution of the population according to social groups in Navahermosa (Toledo) in 1752 first appeared on History Lab.