14th century, 15th century, Africa, figurine, fooleum, primary source
This beautiful brass figurine is striking and all the more so for being a rare sign of court dwarfs (or jesters?) in Africa.  Dated to 14th-15th century Edo, capital of the Kingdom of Benin (not related to the modern-day country of Benin). GAP MAP: More research...
15th century, 16th century, English, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Scotland
The feigning of folly could be profitable and in 15th century Scotland it appears there was enough of it going on to prompt a law prohibiting it. This and similar constraints were repeated in the parliamentary records for another 150 years or so; I have found such...
15th century, 16th century, 17th century, bibliography, England, Europe, historical figure, research, Scotland, Stuart, thesis
This thesis makes a strong contribution to our understanding of several aspects of the fool, building on earlier work by Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart and covering the period 1488-1649. Geographically, it zooms in on the Stuart (Stewart) court’s relationship with...
15th century, 16th century, bibliography, Europe, historical figure, Italy, journal paper, research
This richly illustrated paper looks at dwarfs in Italian Renaissance art, shining a light on complex and even contradictory attitudes to physical and mental alterity, with a certain revulsion at deformity existing in conjunction with an admiration for nature’s...
15th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, Ming dynasty, primary source, quotes, stories
During the reign of Emperor Ming Xianzong 明宪宗 (r. 1468-87), Zhu Yong (朱永), Duke of Baoguo, ran twelve military camps and used conscripted soldiers to repair his vast residence. The jester Brother Clown (A Chou 阿丑) used an historical allusion to expose his...
15th century, Europe, historical figure, Italian, Italy, primary source, quotes, stories
A charming moment described by Galeazzo da San Severino (c. 1460-1525) in a letter to Isabella d’Este (1474-1539), in which he recounts a journey in the company of her sister, Beatrice d’Este (1475-97), and Beatrice’s dwarf-jester Dioda, which they...
15th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, Ming dynasty, primary source, quotes, stories
Following the practice of Chinese jesters to cook up a simple skit in order to draw the emperor’s attention to what’s really going on, here a group of them used a pun to expose corruption in the civil service exams. During the reign of the Hongzhi 弘治...
15th century, Europe, German, Germany, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories
There are some surviving anecdotes on the informal and meritocratic way in which jesters could be recruited. Sometimes they were ‘talent spotted’ by the ruler or a courtier on their travels, such as if they were something like the village fool. One famous...
