‘Mead from Riga’: The Trade and Consumption of a Hanse Cultural Good in the Late Medieval Baltic

Whelan, Mark

doi:10.1093/gerhis/ghab086

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Research on ''exported ceramics'' has shifted from a focus on material forms to the realm of external cultural communication [1]. Western scholars approach the topic from the perspective of cultural change and fusion, emphasizing cultural fluidity and adaptability [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The interplay between material form changes and social factors can be explored through several dimensions: (1) the continuity of form characteristics. This involves investigating how form characteristics are inherited, transformed, or discarded over different periods, and how these changes reflect societal values and technological advancements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantitative typological analysis applied to the morphology of export mugs and their social factors in the Ming and Qing dynasties from the perspective of East–West trade

Ao,

Xu,

et al. 2024

Herit Sci

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The relationship between social factors and the formation of exported mug designs is blurred. This study addresses how they influence material design. Based on a quantitative typological analysis, this paper interprets the cultural relationships underlying the evolution of mug designs exported during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The study reveals: (1) the typology and handle styles of mugs can be categorized into six types, with a predominance of Cylindrical bodies and Ear-shaped handles. Notably, artistic emphasis is concentrated on Bulbous cup bodies and Tail outward curved handles; (2) the design of mugs in the eighteenth century exhibited diversity, morphological similarities, and feature continuity, evolving from representational (Ming Dynasty) to abstract and then to minimalistic styles (Qing Dynasty), particularly evident in the three-dimensional modeling of handles for ergonomic comfort (transitioning from a singular Outward curved form to Ear-shaped form, and then to Entwined branch form); (3) the body shape of mugs transformed from Arc-barrel bodies to Bulbous bodies (focusing on heat retention), and eventually to Cylindrical bodies (prioritizing heat retention, practicality, and cost-efficiency).; (4) the volume of mugs steadily increased from the early eighteenth century, generally classified into large volume (≥ 500 ml), medium volume (200-499 ml), and small volume (< 200 ml); (5) considering the extreme range of volume (11090 ml) and height (25 cm), it indicates that these two variables do not necessarily have a direct positive correlation; (6) the low center of gravity in handle design (average width of 3.4 cm against an average height of 9.9 cm for the body) reflects considerations for the distribution of liquid weight and operational convenience. The volume of sample-10 (11127 ml) notably exceeds the typical range for tea-drinking utensils, revealing the mechanism of wealth and status symbolism. Market demand orientation emerged as the primary driver for the evolution of export mug designs during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with adjustments in the merchant system playing a secondary role. The transformation in mug design reflects the interplay of multiple factors, with the trend toward minimalist design being a response to market demands.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative typological analysis applied to the morphology of export mugs and their social factors in the Ming and Qing dynasties from the perspective of East–West trade

Ao,

Xu,

et al. 2024

Herit Sci

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“…She argues that the move to monitor training in the craft was not primarily to prevent opportunism but instead to enhance the power of artisan trainers through cartelisation, enabling them to offer training on more favourable terms to themselves than an unregulated market allowed. Turning to commodities, Whelan provides the first examination of the trade of mead by Hanseatic merchants in the late medieval Baltic. He highlights the significant cultural status associated with mead (especially that produced in Riga), partly due to the high cost of honey which was needed to produce it.…”

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confidence: 99%

Review of periodical literature for 2022: (ii) 1100–1500

Gibbs

2024

The Economic History Review

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The year 2022 again saw a significant number of publications in late medieval economic and social history, including a bumper six articles in this journal which at least partly covered this period. Political structures and their economic impacts were a particularly popular topic. Angelucci, Meraglia and Voigtländer examine the development of self-governing merchant towns in England using a dataset of 555 boroughs which existed before the Black Death. They demonstrate that a combination of involvement in trade and being in royal hands caused specific towns to seek 'Farm Grants' (conferring rights to self-governance including in tax collection and law enforcement) from the crown. They argue this process was triggered by the Commercial Revolution of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, in which towns sought more flexible institutional arrangements to handle commerce. They further show that towns with Farm Grants were more likely to be represented directly in parliament, creating a virtuous re-enforcing relationship by which urban autonomy led to a stronger nationally representative body. This leads to their wider argument that this relationship helped create stronger constraints on rulers in early modern England than elsewhere in Europe. Lantschner examines city states across the Mediterranean world, comparing Christian and Islamic regions. He challenges previous assessments that have seen Italian city-republics as a stage in the development of western-European democracy and as imperfect versions of modern states. Instead, he argues that city states thrived in areas of political fragmentation and are best seen as 'brittle regimes' in which actors including political organisations and city-based lords, often in alliance with external agents outside the city, vied for control.Two articles focused specifically on Tuscan city leagues. Caferro calls for a deeper understanding of these leagues beyond their military function in marshalling collective armies. He highlights their significant economic role, through creating tariff-free zones among participants and cancelling reprisals between members (where a whole city would be held responsible for the This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

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Maritime silk road heritage: quantitative typological analysis of qing dynasty export porcelain bowls from Guangzhou from the perspective of social factors

Ao,

Li,

et al. 2023

Herit Sci

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The formation of decorative patterns on export porcelain has risen to the research dimension of cross-regional culture. The interplay between social elements and the formal evolution of export porcelain bowls from the Qing Dynasty in Guangzhou remains nebulous. This study elucidates these underlying cultural dynamics through the lenses of utility and societal implications, thus addressing how societal components contribute to the molding of tangible cultural heritage. Key findings include: (1) A dominance of the ring-foot design in the bases of Qing Dynasty export bowls; (2) The diameter and height of the Qing Dynasty export bowls show relatively concentrated characteristics, reflecting a systemic production trend and relative consistency in form; (3) Some of the Qing Dynasty bowls exceed the parameter range of typical tableware, reflecting the adaptability and innovation of production mechanisms in responding to special market demands. The morphological evolution of the Qing Dynasty export bowls is a true reflection of the interweaving of multiple factors such as comfort design and aesthetic preferences, while the uniformity in shape is a comprehensive reflection of meeting market demands and advances in production technology. This study extends the research dimension to the interaction between standardized production techniques and socio-cultural demands.

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‘Mead from Riga’: The Trade and Consumption of a Hanse Cultural Good in the Late Medieval Baltic

Cited by 3 publications

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Quantitative typological analysis applied to the morphology of export mugs and their social factors in the Ming and Qing dynasties from the perspective of East–West trade

Quantitative typological analysis applied to the morphology of export mugs and their social factors in the Ming and Qing dynasties from the perspective of East–West trade

Review of periodical literature for 2022: (ii) 1100–1500

Maritime silk road heritage: quantitative typological analysis of qing dynasty export porcelain bowls from Guangzhou from the perspective of social factors

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