Skeuomorphs in late medieval Europe : playful and utilitarian approaches to new materials

Abstract

Skeuomorphs are objects or features that imitate the design of a similar artefact made from another material. In the late middle ages, artists employed alternative materials under several conditions: when the challenge of representation exceeded their skill levels, when the ideal material would be too expensive to use, when other physical constraints limited material choice. The resulting skeuomorphs often reveal ingenious solutions to dealing with those constraints.