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Manners and behaviour, facial expressions, gestures, clothes, ornaments, the house were they live, their circle of people, the animals and objects that surround them. They all offer glimpses into the every day life of people from the Ancient Regime to our days. They tell us about the social structure, culture, technology, taste, gender roles and aspirations of the individuals and the societies they are part of.
Literature, music and art give testimony to these questions, as do documents about dowry, inventories, parties, funerals, fairs and markets. Together, they offer a picture of the human being – be it at the top or at the bottom of the social hierarchy – and his most intimate convictions.
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