{"product_id":"decapitation-and-sacrifice-saint-johns-head-in-interdisciplinary-perspectives-text-object-medium-9789042934634","title":"Decapitation and Sacrifice: Saint John's Head in","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe anthology Decapitation and Sacrifice is the result of an        interdisciplinary project on the phenomenon of the decapitated head of        Saint John the Baptist in its exegetical context, in the material        culture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and finally in more        recent approaches regarding medium studies. Several specialists and        scholars from these fields were invited to share their most recent        conclusions, thus contributing to our understanding of one of the most        peculiar events, artifacts and phenomena in West: the rise and fall of a        male head as subject of martyrdom, devotion and artistic        expression.                   What emerges from these collected essays is a nuanced understanding of        the beheading and presentation of Saint John. We begin with the biblical        account, already finding multiple layers of exegetical meaning, with a        focus on John as a Christ figure. As the narrative is adapted into other        textual and visual forms, its symbolism is transformed, deepened, or        extended in new ways relating to medieval and early modern spirituality,        morality, performance and representation. What John’s disembodied head        symbolically embodies shifts as we move from one medium to another, and        from one geographic region to another. And, within those broader        categories, meaningful distinctions can be made between differences in        details such as the presence or absence of a platter, the use of        specific terminology, the contents of inscriptions, the characterization        of Herodias and her daughter, specifics of stage directions, even the        parting of John’s beard and the portrayal of his eyes as open or closed        or half-closed – to name but a few. The close analysis of these and        other details that the contributors to this volume provide tell us both        about the symbolic potential of John’s beheading and about how the        textual and visual objects studied here functioned in medieval and early        modern communities.","brand":"Peeters Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49546318381399,"sku":"9789042934634","price":84.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/decapitation-and-sacrifice-saint-johns-head-in-interdisciplinary-perspectives-text-object-medium-9789042934634","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}