Patio Umbrellas are fit for Royalty
Umbrellas are everywhere
Umbrellas are everywhere. We carry them when it rains, we have
patio umbrellas over our picnic tables, we take beach umbrellas to the shore, and we stand under market umbrellas at outdoor kiosks and street vendors' carts; but this wasn't always the case.
Centuries ago, when umbrellas first made the scene, no ordinary person could even dream of owning one. Back then, they were among the most significant indications of royalty, and were prohibited for use by anyone but members of nobility.
While nobody can pinpoint the exact date or place when the very first one was made, historians agree that umbrellas, or parasols, have existed for thousands of years. There is evidence of their use in the courts of China and Egypt, between 1100 and 1200 b.c., as well as Greece and Rome, where early forms of the patio umbrella were used for shade. Umbrellas have also been found depicted in the art and artifacts of ancient Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and China.
The word, umbrella, is based on the Latin, umbra, meaning shade. Its diminutive form, umbella, was modified, to ombrella, in Italy, where it is first known to have been used, in 1611. The word, parasol, from the Old Italian, parare, which means, to shield or ward off, and sole, meaning sun, was originally used in 1660.
Initially, umbrellas were used strictly for protection from the sun. In Egypt, fair skin was considered a sign of nobility, and umbrellas were carried over the members of royalty to ensure that their skin would not tan. It is believed that a Roman woman was the first to oil the cloth canopies of umbrellas, in order to weatherproof them; but it is also known that the Chinese waxed and lacquered their paper parasols so that they could use them in the rain.
Umbrellas, or parasols, were status symbols, and, in early art, they are often situated over a king's throne, bed, and funeral urn. Less important than its size was the number of tiers that a king's umbrella had. The Emperor of China, for example, had a four-tiered parasol, while the King of Siam had one with nine tiers, each featuring elaborate tassels. In fact, he was once described as the "Lord of the twenty-four parasols."
The Greeks customarily held umbrellas over statues of Dionysus at festivals; and, eventually, women began holding them over statues of goddesses, such as Athena, at feasts that were held in their honor. It is believed that this is what popularized the parasol as a fashion accessory.
During the Middle Ages, an umbrella became a part of the Pope's ceremonial regalia. However, it wasn't widely used across Europe until the 12th century, when Pope Alexander III granted the Doge of Venice the right to have a parasol carried over him.
Not surprisingly, the umbrella became a must in England, where the weather is famously damp; and that's where the first market umbrellas were used, in 1685, to shelter customers of coffee houses. Then, in 1830, the first umbrella shop opened in London, where it is still in business.
Indeed, once off-limits to common folk, the umbrella has become one of the most common items in existence. At the same time, its value has not been diminished in the slightest; in fact, it's more important than ever. For one thing, we now know how crucial it is to safeguard our skin from the sun's damaging rays; and, these days, patio umbrellas can offer up to 100% UV protection. Furthermore, with the emphasis on outdoor living,
patio umbrellas are integral parts of our outdoor dcor.
Patio Umbrellas are fit for Royalty
By: Hazel Jennings
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