Pragueintheseventeenthcenturyisknownashometoascintillatingimperialcourtcrammedwithexoticgoods,scientists,andartisans,receivingambassadorsfromPersia,andalsoasacitysufferingplagues,riots,anddevastatingmilitaryattacks.ButPraguewasalsothesettingforacomplexandshiftingspiritualworld.Atthebeginningofthecenturyitwasamulticonfessionalcity,butby1700itrepresentedoneofthemostarchetypicalCatholiccitiesinEurope.Throughamaterialapproach,CosmosandMaterialitypiecestogetherhowearlymodernmenandwomenexperiencedthistransformationonadailybasis.CosmosandMaterialityinEarlyModernPraguepresentsaboldalternativeunderstandingofthehistoryofearlymodernreligioninCentralEurope.Thehistoryofreligionintheearlymodernperiodhasoverwhelminglybeenanalysedthroughaconfessionallens,butthisbookshowshowPrague’sspiritualworldswereembeddedintheirnaturalenvironmentandsocialrelationsasmuchifnotmorethaninconfessionalidentityintheseventeenthcentury.Whiletextsinthisperiodtraceemergingdiscoursesaroundnotionsofreligion,superstition,magic,andwhatitwastobeCatholicorProtestant,amaterialapproachavoidsthesecategorymistakesbeingappliedtoeverydaypractice.ItisthrougharichseamofmaterialevidenceinPrague-spoons,glassbeakers,andamuletsasmuchastraditionaldevotionalobjectslikerosariesandgarnetencrustedcrucifixes-thateverydaybeliefs,practices,andidentitiescanberecovered.
SPOONS MAGIC riots PRACTICES COSMOS
