Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: This work deals with the use of alum in cosmetics, perfumes, corporal adornment, and body care in the Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages. The issue is explored through the examination of several manuscripts (fifteenth and sixteenth centuries) from Spanish libraries, such as the National Library (Madrid) and the Columbine Library (Seville), which hold collections of recipes that explain the use of alum in skin care, teeth and gums, hair-dyeing and bad breath. These uses demonstrate that medieval society was aware of the bactericide, deodorant, astringent, and mordant properties of alum, as well as the importance granted to products related to body care and aesthetics.
Source: Artefact
Author: Ricardo Córdoba de la Llave
Institution: University of Córdoba
Language: English
Topic: History of Medicine Studies
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4283017950