A 1570 Fireback Bearing the Marital Coat of Arms of Mary of Burgundy as a Tool of Habsburg Dynastic Propaganda
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to clarify the historical and political context of the production of a fireback bearing the marital coat of arms of Mary of Burgundy, wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (Maximilian of Austria), and to find out the origin of the artifact as part of the dynastic politics and propaganda of the House of Habsburg.
The scientific novelty is that for the first time, a fireback bearing the marital coat of arms of Mary of Burgundy and its social, cultural, and political subtext is being studied and analyzed. An important factor is that this slab has not previously been mentioned in known catalogs of European heraldic firebacks.
Conclusions. The fireback dated to 1570 bearing the marital coat of arms of Mary of Burgundy is unique evidence of the Habsburg dynastic politics of the contention for the Burgundian legacy period. It demonstrates not only the political union of Archduke Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy, but also a broader ideological narrative aimed at legitimizing Habsburg power in Europe. The marriage of Maximilian and Mary, concluded in 1477, was a key moment in the consolidation of territories that included La Franche-Comté and the Netherlands, secured to the Habsburgs by the Treaty of Senlis of 1493. The fireback, as a material artifact, serves not only as a decorative and household object but also as an important tool of visual propaganda, emphasizing the transition of the Burgundian legacy to the House of Habsburg and highlighting Mary’s role as a symbolic link in that process.
The artifact under study is a vivid example of how heraldry, in combination with material culture, served as a means of political communication during the early modern period. The coat of arms of Mary of Burgundy, crowned with the archducal cap of Maximilian, not only personifies the dynastic alliance but also emphasizes the ambition of the Habsburgs to assert their power over the Burgundian lands amid their long-standing rivalry with France. The employment of the archducal cap as a symbol of Habsburg iconography indicates a conscious emphasis on the imperial hierarchy over the Burgundian legacy.
An important aspect is also the economic and social context of the creation of the fireback. Its production in the ducal ironwork of Mœuvres, probably under the sponsorship of Christina of Denmark or Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, underscores the significance of such artifacts to elites who sought to assert their status and loyalty to the Habsburg dynasty through them.
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