January
27, 2005: Turkeys were one of the many astonishing
delights the Americas sent back to Europe after contact. In
this new book from Italian publisher Centro Di (the text is
in English), art historian Sabine Eiche has assembled a delightful
collection of art to illustrate the turkey’s adventures
in Europe.
Turkeys arrived from the West Indies at King Ferdinand’s
request in 1511. Initially regarded as some kind of peacock,
turkeys soon acquired the cachet of exclusivity as pets and
cuisine for the wealthy and noble. They graced courtyards
and gardens of private zoos. Tapestries and paintings of the
period reproduced in the book proudly display these exotic
creatures.
The turkey's unusual appearance and delicious flavor spread
its fame rapidly across Europe. They were soon popular in
England, Italy, France, Germany and the Baltic states. A century
after its initial arrival in Spain, the turkey was being welcomed
in India.
Its remarkable behavior and gobbling couldn’t avoid
notice. Comparisons to humans were irresistible, as Ms. Eiche
documents. First depicted by Italian and northern German Renaissance
artists for its novelty and startling appearance in the 16th
century, by 1534 it was being painted as a symbol of stupidity
in the Galerie Francois Ier at Fontainebleu. Netherlandish
artist Peter Brueghel portrayed it as accompanying the personification
of envy in 1558.
Back in the fledgling United States, Benjamin Franklin campaigned
to make the turkey the national bird in 1784. He described
it as “a Bird of Courage … that would not hesitate
to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards, who should presume
to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on,” although
he conceded that turkeys are “a little vain and silly,
but not the worse emblem for that.”
In the 19th century, cartoonist Jean Grandville poked fun
at a banker by drawing him as a rotund turkey in 1867. In
the 20th century, political cartoonist Peter Brookes ridiculed
Britain’s most prominent party leaders by drawing them
as turkeys.
Although turkeys have attracted derision from some, others
have appreciated their grandeur, including Picasso’s
"pleasantly plump mass of ruffled feathers."
Such rich material is often naturally funny. Ms. Eiche allows
its humor to emerge effortlessly, unexpectedly tickling the
reader to share a laugh.
The book's 65 illustrations, most of them in color, make
this stroll through history with turkeys a pleasure for the
eyes as well as the mind. Ms. Eiche has filled a significant
niche with this lovely and amusing book. As she quotes 20th-century
writer Morton Thompson, “Some topics cannot be done
justice unless written with a pen filled with gravy.”
Gravy flows freely in her elegant prose.
This book deserves to occupy the shelf of every serious turkey
fancier, as well as those who simply enjoy enriching their
knowledge of cultural and poultry history.
Christine Heinrichs is publicity director for the Society
for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities. She lives in
Madison, Wisconsin.
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