Cantzley Bern (1 results)
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Seller: Penka Rare Books and Archives, ILAB, Berlin, GermanyPenka Rare Books and Archives, ILAB
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Bern: Hoch-Oberkeitliche Druckerei, 1715. Small quarto (19.9 × 15.6 cm). Later colored paper wrappers; 44 pp. with a title woodcut of the Bern coat of arms. Toned and slightly fox-stained, with punched hole along the top edge and a silk ribbon threaded through. Early printing of this Bernese regulation on clothing, interior furn…ishings, and festivities, which is to be understood as a Zwinglian response to the Baroque, first enacted in 1691 and subsequently revised on multiple occasions to keep pace with changing fashions. The stated aim of this catalogue of penalties was that "splendour and extravagance shall thereby be curbed." Accordingly, the very first paragraph of the ordinance provides that the wearing of velvet, as well as "costly" silk and cotton exceeding a certain price - whether plain or with a floral pattern - is prohibited "at all times and in all places" whenever such fabrics exceed specified dimensions. The level of the fine depended on where on the garment these materials appeared. Thus the ordinance provides that the penalty was lower when precious textiles were used only on certain details - such as trimmings on berets, men's coats, gowns, and cloaks. The wearing of wool and less expensive silk was permitted, though black was prescribed for certain occasions in church. The style of wigs was likewise restricted. The ordinance then also addresses in detail specific rules for women, men, and children. The use of gold and silver threads, gilded or silvered buttons, and "all other such vain and costly things" is also prohibited in detail, both within and outside the city, except on certain prescribed occasions. Notably, however, solid gold and silver buttons were expressly permitted, thereby underscoring the distinction between ordinary and wealthy citizens. This rule extended to the furnishing of dwellings and houses, where the use of precious metals was likewise permitted only in the case of objects made of solid gold or silver. In tapestries, tablecloths, and bed linen, neither gold and silver threads nor silk threads were allowed. Certain weaving techniques (haute-lisse) were also prohibited. The wearing of jewellery such as wedding rings was similarly regulated: a fine was imposed if the ring also contained a gemstone. The ordinance, however, also had an explicit element of economic policy. "Foreign" linen, for instance, was restricted to use in a limited number of specified garments. The use of lace, which came chiefly from Venice and Brussels, was likewise not permitted - not only because lace was regarded as "useless and serving only for display", but above all because it took "much money out of the country." In addition to these provisions governing fabrics and materials, the ordinance contains further rules concerning sledging, nocturnal dances, gambling, "nocturnal wandering in the alleyways," masquerades, and male and female servants. As of May 2026, KVK, OCLC show two copies (1708 and 1728 respectively) in North America.
