ISABELLA D'ESTE
From the book "Shopping in the Renaissance, Consumer Cultures in Italy 1400-1600" by Evely Welch, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2005
There is an own chapter in the book dedicated to Isabella d'Este, not only because she is an interesting and colourful figure in the Italian history, but also because her correspondance was throughly copied and stored. Much of her correspondance therefore survives, and it's easier to see her life in context than many other of the famous people from the Renaissance. The book shows a lot of these letters (or extracts from them ).
Though the chapter mostly deals with a woman who was rich in her own rights, it is unavoidable that it also deals with Isabella d'Este's love for jewellery, fine clothes and quality items. But the book puts it in context, claming it wasn't just a shallow shopoholic act, it was just as much a necessary to maintain her position as the grand Marchioness, and also keep the court of Mantua at the level of the other states of Italy (especially Milan, Venice and Florence).
The book stress that the wealth of a husband and wife was separate properties, not to be mixed "just because" they were joined in matrimony. Francesco II therefore had to ask Isabella for permission to borrow from her, be it money or valuables to pawn. Here is a letter from Isabella d'Este to her husband Francesco II Gonzaga in 1496, when he had asked for some of her jewels to pawn:
"I am of course, always ready to obey Your Excellency's command in everything, but perhaps you have forgotten that my jewels are at present in pawn at Venice, not only those which you have given me, but those which I brought when I came as a bride to Mantua or have bought myself since my marriage. I say this, not because I want to make any difference between what is yours and what is mine, but to ensure you are aware that I only have four jewels left in the house along with the large balas ruby which you gave me when my first child was born, my large diamond, my "favorito", and the last one which you recently gave me. If I pledge these, I shall be left entirely without jewels and shall be obliged to wear black, because to appear in coloured silks and brocades without jewels would be ridiculous. Your Excellency will understand that I only say this out of regard for your honour and mine."
Another letter is about gloves. Isabella wants to buy some fine Spanish gloves for "handouts" to friends and allies, and sends a letter to one who can assist her:
"We understand that a shipment from Spain of a great quantitu of gloves from Ocagna has arrived, of which we have need. But we want them to be of the best quality and of the type from Valencia which yellow inside and worn with the inside leather folded over. We ask you to examine them carefully and to have them examined by others, above all by someone Spanish who will understand and know their quality and how they should be made for use by women. And if they are appropriate for our needs, spend two ducats on them and send them to us by the first means possible, and tell us whom we need to pay."
This detailed description, and the request of finding someone Spanish to judge the quality, can (according to the book) be due to previous poor experience of "post order" glove purchase in the past:
"We gave ten ducats to Sanzio to buy as many gloves of d'Ocagna for our use when he went to Spain, and being in Ferrara we spoke to him that he should serve us well. It has now been many days since his return, and since then he has sent us twelve dozens of the saddest gloves that had he searched all of Spain in order to find such poor quality I don't believe he could have found as many. In Rome, Genoa and Florence there are better ones without comparisation and using some diligence in Ferrara itself he could have found some that were as good and perhaps even better.
Therefore we have decided to return them so that you do not think that we have such little judgement in gloves that we would think that these were good enough to give to our ladies-in-waiting and to some of our friends. We would be ashamed to give them to people whom we love and they would never wear them. Can you please send them back and thell him how badly we have been served..."
OUCH!
The book is interesting read in general, so if your local library have it (or can borrow it), go for it!