Spanish ambergris-scented gloves: crafting elegance and well-being from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment

• Palomino, Elisa ^[1]
  1. [1] Ca Foscari University of Venice

     Ca Foscari University of Venice

     Venezia, Italia

     
• Localización: Anuario del Departamento de Historia y Teoría del Arte, ISSN 1130-5517, Vol. 37, Nº 1, 2025 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Nuevas aproximaciones en torno a los estudios de indumentaria del siglo XVIII), págs. 21-46
• Idioma: español
• Enlaces
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• Resumen

  • From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, leather and perfume were intertwined, with glove-makers acting as perfumers and tanners, crafting scented gloves to mask leather’s unpleasant odours. Made from fine kidskin and greased with ambergris, derived from sperm whales, they were prized for their unique musky fragrance and medicinal properties, promoting well-being. Spanish, amber-scented gloves, were favoured by the aristocracy, exchanged as diplomatic gifts at the English court, and commissioned by noble Italian families as fashion symbols and protective accessories. Scented gloves reveal histories of international raw materials trade, and Spanish female self-transformation through chemical and alchemical skills. Olfactory divisions between male and female perfumed gloves also reflected society's gender ideologies. Unfortunately, many early-modern ambergris consumers were unaware of its ecological impact. Designed for durability, scented leather gloves respond to sustainability concerns in today's fast-paced world, offering both elegance, physical and mental health benefits amidst the whirlwind of contemporary fashion trends.