Le lit en France à la fin du Moyen Âge. Symbolique sociale dans les sources notariales

Abstract

This paper focuses on the symbolic role of the bed in the medieval XIVth and XVth centuries society, on the basis of written sources, particularly after death inventories and wills. Indeed, numerous deeds have shown social practices so far uncleared or ignored in material history. In treating a wide variety of deeds, this paper’s objective isn’t to bring definite answers but to propose new approaches about furniture history in France in the late medieval era, and a particular perspective on the bed’s central role in sociability relationships of this period.

Keywords

• furniture
• bed
• material culture
• social organization
• text editing
• after death inventory