“Zibellino were used as status symbols, and as symbols of fecundity. Zibellino fetched an astounding price. They could be heavily embellished. Marten and sable zibellino were connected to fecundity and were popular wedding gifts, and featured in dowries. Lynx zibellino were associated with chastity. Artists of the time used the symbolism of the zibellino in their work for patrons to convey messages.”
“More than any other garment, the flea fur helps us to understand just how different living conditions were in sixteenth-century Europe. People of the period did not bathe very often, and they rarely washed their clothes or bedsheets. The conditions were perfect for infestations of fleas, small bloodsucking insects that live on the bodies of warm-blooded animals like humans. Even the wealthiest people had to endure frequent bites from fleas. One of the ways that they combated the pests was with flea fur.”
1) Portrait of a Roman courtesan by Parmigianino, 1530-1535
2) Portrait of Countess Livia da Porto Thiene and her Daughter Porzia by Paolo Veronese (Italian, 1528-1588)
3) Closeup
