著者

下村 道子

出版者

お茶の水女子大学大学院人間文化創成科学研究科

雑誌

人間文化創成科学論叢 (ISSN:13448013)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.14, pp.87-95, 2011

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The aim of this paper is to analyze the descriptions of precious stones in A Treatise Concerning the Arte of Limning by Nicholas Hilliard. He was the renowned artist of portrait miniature, which was then called limning, in the Elizabethan court of late 16th century England. He was also a skilled goldsmith. He discussed precious stones in relation to the seven principal colours of miniature painting; amethyst for murrey (colour of mulberry), ruby for red, sapphire for blue, emerald for green, topaz for yellow, and diamond for white and black. Unlike the traditional lapidaries of the Middle Ages which enumerated their virtues and mysterious powers, he put an emphasis on the beauty of precious stones, viz. pure colour and brilliance of gems. In addition, the treatise explains the importance of the perfection of gem-cutting for the maximum brilliance of diamonds. He also described the individual reactions of gemstones against fire or heating, which might cause the change of colours. All of these topics are the issues of today's gemmology. It can be considered that the treatise of Nicholas Hilliard is the herald of m\odern gemmology.