Gender and the Glove in Early Modern England

This book explores how gloves shaped and reflected gender relations in early modern society. By examining the cultural, economic and political significance of gloves, it reveals how these everyday objects both reinforced and challenged gender ideologies of the time. The study demonstrates that gloves were far more than simple accessories – they were powerful symbols that helped construct social hierarchies and express various forms of authority and agency. Through their material presence and symbolic meaning, gloves participated in complex dialogues about gender, power and identity. Drawing on methodologies from history, archaeology, anthropology, geography, art history, material culture studies, performance studies and disability studies, this interdisciplinary approach examines how physical objects and bodily practices intersected to create meaning. The analysis focuses on the tangible relationships between people, objects and power structures, showing how material culture actively shaped social relations rather than simply reflecting them. This work contributes to our understanding of how gender operated in early modern contexts, demonstrating that power relations were constructed through everyday interactions with material objects like gloves.