Mirrors and Civilization .

Mirrors and Civilization.
Andre Willers
19 Apr 2011

"Mirror , mirror on the wall , who is the fairest of them all ."

Synopsis:
The invention of large glass-mirrors circa 1300 AD led to an explosion of fashion across the globe . Textiles and paper manufacturing blossomed . Printing followed .

Discussion:
A delicious cross-linkage .
Hand-mirrors were known from Neolithic times (obsidian , copper , bronze , silver , gold ) . Anything that could be made into a smooth , polished , reflective surface .
But very expensive , and small .
This already had led to a cosmetics industry .
"What does my face look like ?"

But notice that the mirror from the Medieval quote above is "on the wall" .
Too heavy to hold . A Large glass mirror .

Venice , being the hub of the glass industry in the west by 1200-1300 AD , not only invented spectacles , but also large mirrors .
See http://andreswhy.blogspot.com " Salvino Armolo D'Armati " 30 Dec 2008

Large mirrors had a synergistic effect with spectacles on civilization .
Indeed , the explosive effect of large mirrors laid the groundwork for the Renaissance.

Why ?
Human vanity .
Seeing what they really looked like in a instantaneous-feedback device , made the nobility want to look better.
Fashion was born .
Clothing , properly cut and worn , can hide a multitude of things .

The textile and tailoring industry took off .
To quote from "The Birth of Power Dressing" by Ulinka Rublack ("History Today" Jan 2011 p20) (circa 1300 AD)
"At the same time , new media and the spread of mirrors led to more people becoming interested in their self-image and how they appeared to others ."

Once the fashion systems took off , normal evolutionary rules were followed .
Extravagance to show fitness . Since power and wealth were concentrated in Court Circles , if you did not dress up , you were nowhere . This reached it's peak in Versailles , suitably symbolized by the Hall of Mirrors .

Meanwhile , back at the Ranch :
The resources poured into glass , textiles and dyes stimulated the revolutions in lenses , astronomy , trade , agriculture , printing , chemistry , etc .
And don't forget the metallurgy to make durable , sharp scissors . This is not a trivial problem . Bad scissors can make the difference between a profitable cut of material and a loss .

Production of large quantities of finely-weaved material led to cheap , quality paper .
After self-help pamphlets , patterns for fashionable clothes was the bread-and-butter of the publishing industry .
Ironically , this is returning with nano-fabricators .
The money will be made in the pattern , not the material .

Fashion .
Still one of the biggest industries today .
Tailors have become coutouriers , with Houses (medieval hangovers)
An interesting exercise is to extrapolate how long a House would last if all mirrors should suddenly vanish . This is on par with seeing how long present civilization would last if all spectacles suddenly vanish .

Human Perversity :
One would think that humans would not like to see themselves as they really are , warts and all .
Yet , some of the largest industries on the planet is based on exactly this principle .
The hope is to better themselves . To appear better than their initial image .
The triumph of hope over experience .

The Death of the Fool .
Pre-mirror Courts had Fools , who had license to mock the ruler in mirror-image .
They disappeared as large mirrors became more prevalent .
An early case of technological unemployment .
A precarious survival of the genre is in Mimes .

Interpretive Miming :
I have noticed that in cases where street-mimes follow me and exactly mimic my movements , I get very annoyed at a pre-conscious level . Why ?
Mirrors too accurate ? Attempts at manipulation as coutouriers do with their artfully placed mirrors ?
I would suggest to the mime to build in a small deviation from the mirror .
Counter-exaggeration would be nice .
This should enhance acceptance . And monetary returns .

Sigh . A tale of human civilization .

"Spectacles and mirrors
Goes with materials and scissors."

Andre