Sacred Stuff
Inventories have long been used by historians as a source for investigating ‘worldly goods’; here, they are scrutinized anew for evidence of devotional practices in the home. Rosaries, little crosses, Agnus Dei, and coral are just some of the material objects that served to sacralize the home. These same items, densely recorded in the inventories of workshops and private households also figure in dowry contracts and registers of pawned goods. Such documents, drawn up by notaries, afford us new insights into the significance of material things at key moments in the life-cycle. Often invested with amuletic powers, many of the objects under investigation blur the boundaries between religion and superstition and draw attention to the profoundly protective role of domestic devotion.