Keywords
ethnic stereotypes
clothing
Ottoman Empire
Russia
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper traces the early modern ethnic ‘stereotypes’ in Western and Central Europe by discussing the various sources of such stereotypes, both textual and visual, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. A useful reference is the well-known – or sometimes infamous – Völkertafel (Table of Nations) from eighteenth-century Styria, which has been fully translated into English here. The writer emphasizes how narrow the gap is between an allegedly accurate, neutral account and one that veers into misrepresentation or stereotype. Whether a depic- tion is seen as stereotypical often hinges on the viewpoint and interpretation of the observer. Among the various ethnic generalizations explored, even traditional attire was interpreted as being characteristic of specific peoples or nations. The article comparatively examines the stereotypes about Ottoman and Russian cloth- ing. The article claims that the Southeastern and Eastern European nations were grouped together with their according imperial identities, i.e., the Russian and Ottoman Empires. In the early modern era, ethnic identities were shaped along the imperial and state lines.
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