The Parlour Ghost

In medieval times, the parlëure (parlour) was one of two rooms in a monastery. An ‘outer parlour’ was a room where monks and nuns would meet visitors and conduct business. Most religious orders wanted silence in the cloister, which was the place where the monks studied, ‘inner parlour’ was a room where the monks were allowed to converse without disturbing those in the cloister.

Centuries later and English speakers borrowed parlëure ( a derivative of the French verb “to speak” ) as parlour. Parlour applied to rooms such as the chamber off the main hall of a manor house, where private conversations are easily had. The religious no longer present, and neither is the sense that talking is an exceptional activity. The parlour became more than ever about talking. In the eighteenth century it is where the family would relax and pursue hobbies. They might write letters, read books or the newspaper, or have friends over evening entertainment or afternoon tea. It often became the best-furnished room in the home, where families proudly received their guests.

H 8.5 x D 5.5 x W 4.5cm

Open release

7pm-8pm 25th May 2023