tHE lIBRARY
Welcome to my library.
“What is the library,” you ask? It's a collection of the books, articles, websites and other sources I have used while compiling some of the long term projects posted on this site. While I write poems, boasts, stories and perform the works of others, I am usually also in the middle of a long term research project. Long term being defined as a detailed work lasting longer than one year to research in depth.
It is my hope that, being listed by topic and annotated , other researchers can browse this collection and perhaps use them to help them on their own quests for knowledge. It also includes direct links to my papers.
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Amber Work-
Amber & Poland: A history crafted in resin. Culture.pl. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://culture.pl/en/article/amber-poland-a-history-crafted-in-resin
Amber – the most glittering material of the stone age. Museum of Cultural History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://www.khm.uio.no/english/collections/objects/amber-in-the-stone-age.html
Cartwright, M. (2022, November 5). Amber in antiquity. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://www.worldhistory.org/Amber/
Causey, Faya, et al. Ancient Carved Ambers in the J. Paul Getty Museum. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2019.
Causey, Faya. Amber and the Ancient World. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011.
Causey, F. (n.d.). The working of amber: Ancient evidence and modern analysis. Ancient Carved Ambers in the J. Paul Getty Museum. Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://www.getty.edu/publications/ambers/intro/17/
Charles River Editors. The Amber Road- The History and Legacy of the Ancient Trade Network That Moved Amber Across Europe. Charles River Editors , 2022.
Wang, Y. (n.d.). Experimental studies on the heat treatment of Baltic amber. Gems & Gemology. Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2014-wang-heat-treatment-of-baltic-amber
Spoken Moment Research Project Two- “The Chapter House”
The natural progression of the Spoken Moment Project One was to look at it and find areas that could be improved. One was to actually be able to present a medieval piece in a medieval location. This led to in depth research of the Chapter House at The Worcester Art Museum, up to and including contacting the current owners of the remaining parts of the priory in France, virtually touring the area, finding our more about the Benedictines of that specific chapel and understanding what would have actually been read in the that room. In short, I was able to know to what extent words were said in an extant location. It was almost a window into a moment in time. The recording will occur this summer and will be the final piece in completing this multiyear complex body of work.
My Blog Entries https://www.agnesmariedecalais.com/bardic-research.html
Benedict, and Justin McCann. The Rule of Saint Benedict: In Latin and English. Martino Fine Books, 2019.
The Rule of Saint Benedict was read in Chapter Houses at the beginning of each meeting. There is a passage for each day of the week. Some are as mundane as how to assign kitchen duties in a priory. This recent edition, while the same in content, is physically easier to read the translation of the text into modern English as well as read what days of the year each passage should be read.
Benedictine Way of Life - Stella Maris College. https://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/benedictine-way-of-life.pdf.
This site was useful in understanding a brief history of the Benedictine Order and gaining insight into the day to day world of the individuals who built and used the Chapter House in the Middle Ages.
Catherine. “Monuments Déplacés : La Salle Capitulaire Du Bas-Nueil, De Berrie (Vienne) à Worcester (Massachusetts)." Monuments Déplacés : La Salle Capitulaire Du Bas-Nueil, De Berrie (Vienne) à Worcester (Massachussetts) - Patrimoine Et Inventaire De Nouvelle-Aquitaine - Site De Poitiers, https://inventaire-poitou--charentes-fr.translate.goog/operations/les-monuments-disparus/266-decouvertes/1090-monuments-deplaces-la-salle-capitulaire-du-bas-nueil-de-berrie-vienne-a-worcester-massachussetts?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc.
This French article provided an interesting viewpoint on the removal of a historical location and its becoming part of a museum in the United States. It provided a valuable path that could be used to understand how the piece/ room would have existed in its original setting.
“Chapter House of the Benedictine Priory of Saint John at Le Bas-Nueil.” – Works – Worcester Art Museum, https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedictine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le.
The Worcester Art Museum has an excellent online way to view and learn about the Chapter House
“The Chapter House.” Chapter House Durham World Heritage Site, https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/learn/architecture/cathedral/intro/chapter-house.
Further research and discussion of the Chapter House as a displaced historical site and museum exhibit.
CHARLES, Dominique. “Prieuré Saint-Jean Du Bas-NueilBerrie (86).” Prieuré Saint-Jean Du Bas-Nueil - Berrie - Journées Du Patrimoine 2021, https://www-journees--du--patrimoine-com.translate.goog/SITE/le-prieure-saint-jean-ancienne-abb-194393.htm?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc.
A local French history site explaining why the architecture of the priory that the Chapter House is part of is important.
Crozet, R. “A Visit to La Bas Nueil.” Worcester Art Museum Bulletin , Mar. 1958.
A Worcester Art Museum publication now in the curatorial folder for the Chapter House.
Étienne Cholet Paul François. Cartulaire De L'Abbaye De St Étienne De Baigne. Clouzot, 1867.
This book is a 1867 translation of another similar Priory. It details the business and happenings from 800 to the French Revolution. Although not specifically about the Chapter House at the Worcester Art Museum it contains period names, information and historical insight about the same general area as the Priory in study.
Google Maps, Google, https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bas+Nueil,+86120+Berrie,+France/%C3%89glise+Saint-%C3%89tienne+de+Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde,+75+Rue+du+G%C3%A9n+de+Gaulle,+16360+Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde,+France/@46.2262692,-1.1900814,8z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x48078c1ea35ba9d9:0xc2ed75ea2993cd8e!2m2!1d-0.095898!2d47.062187!1m5!1m1!1s0x48006950e9f5dfa9:0x3c5314af0ad1bfca!2m2!1d-0.2356119!2d45.3802199.
http://www.vtech.fr, V-Technologies / Ligeo-Archives -. “Recherche Transversale.” Archives Départementales Des Deux-Sèvres Et De La Vienne, https://archives-deux-sevres-vienne.fr/archive/resultats/transversale/n:150?RECH_S=Prieure%2Bde%2BBas-Nueil%2BBerrie%2C%2BVienne&x=38&y=23&RECH_SELECTOR%5B0%5D=archives&RECH_SELECTOR%5B1%5D=etatcivil&RECH_SELECTOR%5B2%5D=recensement&RECH_SELECTOR%5B3%5D=matricule&RECH_SELECTOR%5B4%5D=electorale&RECH_SELECTOR%5B5%5D=cadastre&RECH_SELECTOR%5B6%5D=cartespostales&RECH_SELECTOR%5B7%5D=poilus&RECH_SELECTOR%5B8%5D=cartespostales&RECH_SELECTOR%5B9%5D=presse&RECH_SELECTOR%5B10%5D=doleance&RECH_SELECTOR%5B11%5D=contenus&type=transversale.
Google Maps and Google Earth proved to be one of the greatest assets gained in this work. I was able to virtually walk around the site that the Chapter House once stood in and explore the remaining ruins. Speculation about what was became replaced with the ability to in a sense visit the place. These tools let us go to the places we seek to recreate and understand. And, while time has taken her toll, seeing the location we are researching is invaluable when trying to capture the essence of an extant moment.
“Loire Escapes.” Loire Escapes, http://www.loireescapes.com/.
An email to the current owner of part of priory barns, now used as an Air BNB led me to be able to contact their neighbor who cares for the priory remains.
Marolleu , P. Information Request about Le Prieure Saint Jean Inbox, 31 Jan. 2022.
This was a response email from the local historian and owner of the remains of the rest of the priory the Chapter House.
Sidsel. “Medieval Fabrics and the Use of Colour, Part 2.” Postej & Stews, 6 Dec. 2019, http://postej-stew.dk/2019/05/medieval-fabrics-part-2/.
When pondering what to wear for recording i wanted to understand what simple dyes, if any might have been used on the clothing of the Brothers of the Priory.
“Vestiges Du Prieuré Du Bas-Nueil à Berrie.” Retour à L'accueil De Monumentum, https://monumentum.fr/vestiges-prieure-bas-nueil-pa00105349.html.
Another French viewpoint regarding the removal of the Chapter House and the remaining ruins of the Priory
Virtue, Cynthia. “Extant Clothing of the Middle Ages Assembled by by Cynthia Du Pr Argent.” Some Extant Clothing of the Middle Ages (Photos), https://www.virtue.to/articles/extant.html.
When considering how to construct a simple tunic and clothing this site had some interesting concepts
Worcester Art MuseumFollow this publisher - current follower count:48. “Access Magazine Fall 2012.” Issuu, 2 Jan. 2013, https://issuu.com/worcesterartmuseum/docs/access-magazine-fall-2012/20.
A Worcester Art Museum publication about the Chapter House that is now also part of its curatorital file .
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Spoken Moment Research Project One- “In the Kitchen”
The concept of this entry was to use Art and Science research methods and thought processes to recreate a common spoken word moment from between the 12thto 15th century. This moment would be as if one could“go back in time” and view a medieval moment. It is both a research piece and performance art. The viewer should feel as though they have a window into the past. A Medieval Recipe was used as the piece that was spoken and all aspects of recreating as close to extant moment ( ie. clothing, foliage, materials etc.) were researched.
My Paper and Work:
https://www.agnesmariedecalais.com/bardic-research.html
Paper available on Scribd and is embedded in page
Performance also posted.
Sources:
America's top 10 medieval Castle locations. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.toursofdistinction.net/blog/medieval-castles-locations-usa/ Anderson, J. L., & Adams, A. (1962).
An interesting assortment of castles, monasteries and other Medieval and Tudor structures moved to the United States in the early 20th century that can be visited today.
A Fifteenth Century Cookry Boke. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Associazione amici di San Pietro al Monte. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.amicidisanpietro.it/visit-to-san-pietro-al-monte/
This collection of recipes from the British Museum and other institutions is written in old and middle english and contains instructions for a feast from starters to desserts.
Chapter house of the Benedictine Priory of Saint John at Le Bas-Nueil. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedic tine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le
This is an amazing room from an abbey that was transported brick by brick to the Worcester Art Museum in the 1920’s. You can still visit this relocated medieval location now.
Day 2 of The Heptameron - TALE 11. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from http://www.heptameron.info/day2/tale1.html
Discovery of the month. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from http://tudoraccidents.history.ox.ac.uk/?page_id=177
The Heptameron is a collection of stories written by Queen Marguerite de Navarre set in France during the early 16th century. Similar to the “Canterbury Tales” travelers who are delayed in travel share interesting and oftentimes salacious tales. This is a link to online content.
Matthew Paris, Chronica Maiora. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/haywardp/hist424/seminars/Paris.htm
Matthew Paris was a Benedictine monk and chronicler whose writings provide an amazing primary account of medieval life that is still fascinating and intriguing to read.
Navarre,, M. R., & Reyff, S. D. (1982). Heptamřon. Paris: Flammarion.
The Heptameron is a collection of stories written by Queen Marguerite de Navarre set in France during the early 16th century. Similar to the “Canterbury Tales” travelers who are delayed in travel share interesting and oftentimes salacious tales. This is a printed copy.
Purcell, B. (2019, September 25). The American robber barons who Stole Medieval Europe. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/in-the-early-1900s-dozens-of-centurie sold-european-buildings-came-to-america-where-is-medieval-america-now
An interesting piece detailing medieval buildings and sacred spaces that were moved to the United States in the early 20th century before various international protection laws were enacted.
Saraitindall, & Saraitindall. (2016, January 19). How to make a St. birgitta coif/cap. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://clothingthepast.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/how-to-make-a-st-birgittacoifcap/#:~:text=The%20original%20linen%20cap%20is,inches%20above%20 the%20bottom%20edge
This site was useful in better understanding the construction of a St. Birgitta Cap as well as where and how on would fit into the costuming for this project.
Poet's Seat Tower. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/poet-s-seat-tower
Poet’ Seat Tower is a tower in Greenfield, Massachusetts that appears as though it could be a medieval or historical location in Europe. It was built as a local monument in 1912 and can be accessed by the public for free.
Walker, P. A. (n.d.). FASHIONING DEATH: THE CHOICE AND REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE CLOTHING ON ENGLISH MEDIEVAL FUNERAL MONUMENTS 1250-1450. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac -man-scw%3A186525
This source helped me select clothing that would be appropriate for this or another similar project.
Woodland Trust. (n.d.). Juniper. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-zof-british-trees/juniper/#:~:text=Common%20juniper%20is%20native%20to,s preading%20shrub%20or%20small%20tree.
In seeking a performance background that could be traced to an extant location I researched the plant life near my central Massachusetts home. I had a large growth of Juniper trees on my property and found that they could have been a plausible backdrop for outdoor Medieval cooking.
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Medici Pottery, Early Porcelain Manufacturing in Europe and Extant Medici Pieces
This body of work focused on an extant museum piece at the Boston Museum of Fine Art and pondered the object’s original creation as a possible practice piece of early European porcelain. A project that received patronage by the Medici Family.
My papers and work
The Crude Cruet (24pgs.) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LL1vAEyn0Q2tl03ZDRxwtDzcZkwlWvRT/view?usp=sharing
The Experiment of Medici Porcelain-As Published
https://eastkingdomgazette.org/2019/05/30/arts-sciences-research-paper-26-the-brief-experiment-of-medici-porcelain/
“Cruet for Oil and Vinegar.” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 12 Apr. 2018, www.mfa.org/collections/object/cruet-for-oil-and-vinegar-58789.
This is the official Museum of Fine Art, Boston Medici cruet web link. It provides basic information and provenance and was the starting point for research.
Waal, Edmund De. The White Road: Journey into an Obsession. Vintage Canada, 2018.
De Waal is a professional potter and artist who has already written books ceramics, pottery and his work. This was a bestselling memoir as well as history of porcelain, its origins and importance throughout history. It was specifically insightful on the preparation used in period of Kaolin and the hills it originates from in China.
“Fonthill Vase on Display,” National Museum of Ireland, 6 January, 2020. https://twitter.com/nmireland/status/782903954606817280
As one of the first documented examples of porcelain in the Western Medieval world the Fonthill Vase at the National Museum of Ireland is an essential extant piece to reference. It can be found displayed in the curators’ choice hall. The Museum Twitter feed has one of the better images to copy and insert into a paper.
Harris, Courtney. “Medici Porcelain Query.” Medici Porcelain Query, 13 September 2019,25 September 2019 and 6 May 2019.
Ms. Courtney Harris is the Curatorial Research Fellow that is responsible for the curatorial files of the Medici Cruet and other works. This series of emails discussed my questions about the cruet, possible avenues of study and our discussions regarding my research. They also detail how my research has added to the curatorial file.
Haynes, Henry W. Travel Journal, 5 Sep. 1876- 19 Nov. 1878. Vol. 16, Haynes, 1878.
Professor Henry Haynes was a well published Harvard University academic and archeologist. While on a several year tour of Europe in the late 19th century he purchased and unearthed countless classical, medieval and other artifacts that are now housed in Boston, Massachusetts museums. His travel and archaeological journals, which are available to the public at the Massachusetts Historical Society Archives, provide excellent primary accounts of the discovery of these items. They were essential in seeking further provenance for the Cruet as it was donated to the Museum of Fine Art upon his death in 1912.
“Kaolin.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020, pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/kaolin.
Kaolin is the mineral responsible for the extremely strong molecular matrices that form when true hard paste porcelain is fired in excess of 1400 degrees fahrenheit. This site gives not only molecular information but uses, precautions and other data about compounds that humans may interact with in manufacturing or medicine. It would be helpful for safety reasons to a craftsperson seeking to mix their own “Medici” clay.
Lane, Arthur. “A Rediscovered Cruet of Medici Porcelain.” Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston, vol. 56, no. 304, 1958, pp. 77–83.
In this edition of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston’s Bulletin, Arthur Lane, a former head curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,describes how he came upon the Medici Cruet in the Turkish Pottery Gallery and suspected it was not indeed Turkish. Upon inspection he realized that in lieu of a marker mark it had the word “prova” or proof and resembled the proof mark of other Medici works. This article, crucial to the current placement of the cruet ironically was never placed in the curatorial file until inquiries and research was done for this paper.
Lane, Arthur. Italian Porcelain, Faber and Faber, London, 1954.
Arthur Lane’s book on Italian Porcelain is an essential resource when studying the development of hard paste porcelain on the European continent in the late SCA period. This book has illustrations and black and white photographs of all known Medici maker and proof marks as well as insight into the possible recipe for the porcelain.
Lane, Arthur. “The Gaignieres-Fonthill Vase; a Chinese Porcelain of About 1300.” The Burlington Magazine, vol. 103, no. 697, 1961, pp. 124-133. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/873356.
As one of the earliest known pieces of porcelain the Fonthill Vase is imperative to study when considering the value and importance of porcelain. It also discusses the physical qualities artisans would later try to achieve.
Le Corbeiller, Clare. “A Medici Porcelain Pilgrim Flask.” The J. Paul Getty MuseumJournal, vol. 16, 1988, pp. 119–126. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4166583.
When inquiring into the provenance of the Medici Cruet studying other extant Medici pieces not only provided insight into the porcelain factory but what a work worthy of the maker mark looked like.
“Medici Porcelain Factory” The J. Paul Getty Museum, 12 April, 2018. http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/1192/medici-porcelain-factory-italian
The Getty Museum has one of the larger collections of Medici porcelain as well as detailed information about the topic in general. These works truly contrast the crude form and painting of the Cruet.
McDowall, Carolyn . “Pottery to Porcelain with the Medici.” The Culture Concept Circle, 20 Aug. 2012, www.thecultureconcept.com/pottery-to-porcelain-with-the-medici.
Carolyn McDowell discusses how the Medici work differed from Italian Majolica being made at the same time.
Ortal Bensky, "Iznik ewer," in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed January 13, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/iznik-ewer/.
Smart history was accessed for its clear image and example of an extant ewer from the Iznik region of Turkey, made at the same time as the Cruet.
Peabody, Charles. “Henry Williamson Haynes.” American Anthropologist, vol. 15, no. 2, 1913, pp. 336–346., doi:10.1525/aa.1913.15.2.02a00130.
Charles Peabody was also a noted academic contemporary to Professor Haynes. This article written upon Haynes’ death better describes the work he did and highlights why his purchase of the Cruet was an unusual one given his areas of study and historical interest.
Pollard, A. M. (2015) Letters from China: A History of the Origins of the Chemical Analysis of Ceramics, Ambix, 62:1, 50-71, DOI: 10.1179/1745823414Y.0000000008
Chinese porcelain differed from European porcelain because of chemical variations in the actual clay as it was mined. The impact of this on the final product is evident when discussed in this article.
Spallanzani, Marco. “Medici Porcelain in the Collection of the Last Grand-Duke.” The Burlington Magazine, vol. 132, no. 1046, 1990, pp. 316–320. JSTOR,www.jstor.org/stable/3100456.
When the last Medici died in the mid 18th century his collection of porcelain was auctioned in Florence and scattered the Medici pieces into unknown directions. However, the documents from this sale are one of the few lists of the porcelain that we know existed at that time.
“Soft Porcelain vs. Hard Porcelain.” Whitehalls Auctioneers & Appraisers, 20 Feb.2014, www.whitehallsauction.com/soft-porcelain-vs-hard-porcelain/.
Understanding the difference between soft and hard paste porcelain is essential to understanding why the Medici were unable to create a product that rivaled that coming from China at the time.
Stazzi, Francesco. Italian Porcelain. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1963.
Vasta, Meredith. “PMR-20-067 Whitney Donations/Provenance of Objects Donated by the Estate of Professor Henry W. Haynes in 1912.” PMR-20-067 Whitney Donations/Provenance of Objects Donated by the Estate of Professor Henry W. Haynes in 1912, 25 Sept. 2019.
These are a series of emails between Ms. Vast a curator at the Harvard Peabody Museum and myself regarding the journals of Professor Haynes at the Massachusetts Historical Society and notifying them that they contained primary accounts of the discovery and or purchase of items that were placed in their possession upon Professor Haynes’ death. It appears from his journals that he had intended the information to go with each object, however, they were donated separately.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Jeff Pioquinto, SJ itmpa