<em>St. Pancratius in Wil, Switzerland was dressed as a Roman soldier in 1672. Artisans added the armor suit in the 18th century</em><br /><br /><strong>CNN: Did artisans always come from the Catholic church?</strong><br /><br /><strong>PK: </strong>The people who decorated the skeletons were most commonly nuns. If not nuns, maybe monks or lay brothers affiliated with a local religious organization. Only when something special was needed—for cases in which it was desired to decorate the skeleton with a silver suit of armor, for instance, as was sometimes done—did they contract with secular artisans. <br /><br />Nuns in particular were a perfect choice for decorating skeletons like this. They were frequently involved in textile work, lace work, and beading, which they practiced on a very high level. These are what we might consider craft arts, but the exact kind of skills that were necessary for decorating a skeleton in this way.
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