© 2002 by Design History Society
By Sale, By Gift
Aspects of the Resale and Bequest of Goods in Late-Sixteenth-Century Venice
Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge
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Abstract |
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This article turns its attention to the subject of second-hand goods by examining documentary material that gives an insight into the types of object in recirculation and the familial or social links that were negotiated through them. A case-study of Salustio Gnechi, ‘Cavalier of the Doge’, who died in 1599, forms the major part of this investigation. Most of his estate, from precious to mundane items, was sold in the Piazza San Marco in a sale that took weeks to inventory and auction. The surviving inventory and sale record allow comparison of estimated and realized prices, which reflects on our understanding of ‘value’. Other values are shown by the motives of his family in releasing certain items; goods listed in the inventory, but not sold, provide a sense of hierarchies of object and suggest sentimental attachments to certain objects. Salustio's will presents some further detail on the aims of the testator in maintaining social bonds through bequests and individual relationships to belongings. A story of public and private exchange begins to emerge from Gnechi's story, helping to develop our picture of consumption and our understanding of the significance of certain goods in late-sixteenth-century Venice.
Key Words: auctions • consumption • material culture studies • Renaissance • second-hand goods • Venice