[Christopher VaughnStrever]

Well here is my entire dinning set as of this moment. Im looking to add a few additions very soon and a small change. Yet I felt as though the table could look presentable for photos to be taken.

Let me know what you guys think. I will be getting a correct reproduction table soon, This table is just in my dinning room for quick photos

[T. Arndt]

Maybe I am mistaken. I thought most food was served onto a crust/bread-bowl rather than plates?

[Thomas R.]

Hi Christopher,
first of all: which timeframe and which class of society are you aiming for? For an example my eating set for mid 13th century, german lands near the river rhine:

It consists of a jug and a beaker made in "Siegburger" style (unglazed, but hard burned stoneware, invented in the 13th century in Siegburg nearby Cologne). Plus a bowl made of cows horn for stews and soups, a wooden spoon (I will replace that spoon soon with a thicker version) and an eating knife with a grip made of bone, brass and wood. Note: a pricker was not used back then. The food was carved by servants and could be eaten with your knife or fingers.

Drinking glasses were also in use, but very, very precious! You would expect it in larger quantities only in a very posh knights/lords household. Also the Siegburger stoneware as considered expensive, because it was imported from cologne/siegburg and not the ordinary dishware made by the local potter (which were not burned as hard).

Regards,
Thomas

[Dan Rosen]

Forgive me, but it's kind of a strange question to ask with the addition of "in your eyes." I don't mean to stray away from your question too much, but to the layman or anymore who hasn't studied the particularities of material culture from "x" date or place the answer is probably universally yes. It has that vague aesthetic of being mildly exotic and "not of this time."

In response to the crusty bread trencher thing, I believe it was done, but was even perhaps the minority compared to ceramics, metal, glass, horn, and treen(wood) ware. A startling variety of surviving examples exist, as well as a whole range more in artwork.

To get back to your question, it looks cohesive (though you could use a spoon, especially with a well-appointed and expensive spread like that), but without knowing where or when your impression is rooted, it's hard to say. It looks like you've got a Spanish/Mediterranean plate, some glassware from around Europe, some English-ish pottery, Italian-ish tablecloth, and so on. Stuff was imported or purchased from abroad quite a bit, but your collection seems to jump all over the place.

So, think about your impression and who you want to portray to the public you work with.

Hope this helps a little.

Best,

-Dan

[Jeremy V. Krause]

[Jason Daub]

Christopher,

If I am close on this you are going for a ~1450 impression? I will assume English. I think what is throwing me off is the mixture of domestic and imported pottery, common and inexpensive, with expensive imported linens and glassware. If you look at period paintings you will notice that, generally, fine linen and glassware is shown with metal pitchers, a fine metal salt cellar, etc..

The pictures of your gaming set up has the same mix, in the artwork you will see the gentle class at chess, backgammon and cards. I would certainly feel safe in assuming that everyone played fox and geese but it was not how the class you are trying to re-enact had themselves portrayed. In addition, it appears that your cards are perhaps late 16th century?

You've got a lot of very nice quality items there, and they give a nice "medievalish" impression but not yet cohesive as to time, place and class.

I am sure that I am mistaken in at least some of this, but I think that I am generally correct here.

[Christopher VaughnStrever]

very good feedback, What I was attempting to do is shoot for the main time frame of the 15th century (I know the cards are 16th century, that is intended) and so with the feedback thus far, I know how to present the items to people.

Jason, you nailed down exactly what I needed to know (at least generally) to present it to people. in that I want to show to people the vast array of dinning items available across Europe.

Dan, that is what I am in need of, exactly how you mentioned about the linen being from Italy, but other items from other places. I have descriptions of the items but some items did not come with the info of where they are from. so iny help in that area is greatly appreciated.

thanks for the compliments,
-Chris V

[Phil D.]

Here is a great site with a wide variety of examples ...


http://larsdatter.com/feastgear4.htm

[Blaz Berlec]

For 15th century you really shouldn't have the Hnefatafl.

[Christopher VaughnStrever]

The games are separate, I just took some photos with them on the table.

as an fyi (and I posed the query wrong in the first place. my mistake) Though I am not attempting to portray an exact reproduction of a single place and time, rather as I serve people a drink, I can tell them they are drinking from a 14th century glass typical of Germany. Or that I am pouring from an anthropomorphic Jug with a Baulster form, that has its orgins here or there. And so on.

I want to give people the chance to experience different aspects of history, without being too analytic of "oh that does not fit in the scene" but rather "enjoy this portion of history in your hands and know where/when it came from"

I thank the comments so far, because without them, I would not have come to realize that I asked the wrong question.

[William P]

i have to say chris, i am very much warming up to your idea for public presentation but the thing that immediately sprung to my mind someone would have asked might be so that cups from england, the pots from so and so. did they have the same ots i enland too. now ot many people would ask this i know but its a possibility

having a plethora of stuff is a good idea becaue the public can be very inquisitive that way. and will just want to see lots of stuff,
i mean for example during a recent show my group did, we portray 10th centry rus and viking peoples, yet id say a lot of questions were about knights, and although we weremostly viking age,

i did asimilar thing to you, comparing a russian horsemans axe to a ango scandinavian one handed axe and explaining the different styles present in the different cultures for the various pieces we had on display

[Dan Rosen]

To be really honest, I'm kind of wary of the hodge podge idea

. It just sounds confusing for the public, both because most are not likely to interact with you beyond looking at what you have even if engaged (and so won't benefit from explanations of the objects' origins) and because throwing out a mountain of dates and obscure locations about a bunch of stuff that all looks the same to most people will be bewildering.

I think it would be beneficial to nail down an impression, rather than a semi-generic Medievaloid amalgamation. If nothing else, it visually encourages the idea that the Middle Ages were just one massive indistinct block of centuries where everything looked the same.