Venus and Furs

An exploration of the cultural politics of fur throughout history. The author reviews its values as commodity, sexual fetish, luxury item, article of trade, clothing and adornment. Using illustration, drawing on sources ranging from the literary to the visual, from fine art to fashion, Emberley assesses fur's role as a literary symbol and sexual fetish. She looks at fur's representation through the ages, including England's sumptuary laws and fur's historical role in building relations between Britain, North America and France.