Battles of the Sexes

Illustration from a 1467 manuscript of Hans Talhoffer's fight book.

'Fight books' of the 1400s often featured images of men and women engaged in judicial duels.

Duels often begin with the man in a pit or a tub, equipped with a wooden mace, while the woman circles above, slinging a stone wrapped in a veil or “loaded” into the sleeve of her chemise. The difference in height is meant to level any physical advantage of biological sex.

More: The Public Domain Review