Material Differences. Social Inscription Practices in Early Modern Rosaries

Since the sixteenth century, the paternoster or rosary has been regarded as epitomizing Catholic piety. In the course of the Reformation, the rosary became a symbol of Catholicism which the Protestants viewed with a scorn and suspicion. Undoubtedly, the rosary marked confessional differences. But even within Catholicism, rosaries are not to be seen as a homogeneous group of objects. Instead, actors individualize rosaries by additional ornaments and inscriptions. This applies both to decoration with coins and medals, which testify not only to different religious but also to political motives, as well as to individual engravings of names, places, or dates.

Using written sources, images, and the objects themselves, this paper explores how difference manifests itself in the materiality and design of early modern rosaries. The underlying thesis is that rosaries can provide information about social (inclusion and exclusion) practices because they are not only a powerful symbol of confessionalization, but also provide knowledge about their owners and their social affiliation.