Pouches, breeches, and bags Seemly and unseemly adventures in copia

Echoing the history of dress, the clothing containers featured in the geste are the focus of a self-referential reflection on copia and meaning. As containers, they suggest an abundance that blends gigantism and cunning, contrasted with its downsides, chiefly pomposity. Through their fasteners, they are revealed to be institutionally and poetically unsuitable, such as in Janotus’s breeches or Panurge’s outfits. And through their accessory dimension, they delegitimize established reference points.