Silk was one of the great social signifiers of the later Middle Ages, and it is represented in a profusion of paintings from the period, demonstrating the opule

The beginning of global commerce in the early modern period had an enormous impact on European culture, changing the very way people perceived the world around

Silk velvet was first woven in Europe during the second half of the 13th century, but it reached its peak of perfection during the 15th and 16th centuries--the

While the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance are usually associated with Italy’s historical seats of power, some of the era’s most characteristic works

During the medieval period, people invested heavily in looking good. The finest fashions demanded careful chemistry and compounds imported from great distances