When you look up the definition of the word enigma, you will picture the smile on the face of Mona Lisa, says Danbury, CT dentist Jay M. Marks, DMD. Few would argue that her smile is one of the most famous in history. One of the mysteries surrounding her, is who the actual model was for the portrait painted by artist Leonardo da Vinci. The consensus seems to point to the Gherardini family of Florence, Italy circa 1500’s. In 2012, researchers found a burial crypt containing the bones of 8 people.
Experts believe the woman could have been the wife of a merchant neighbor of da Vinci, whose name was Gherardini. Carbon 14 and DNA testing is being carried out to identify which skeleton dates back to the 1500’s. It is reported that only 2-3 women of that era are buried there. Sparse records seem to show that the other prospects are Lisa del Giocondo, and Isabella of Aragon. When she is finally identified, forensic science will use her facial skeleton to reconstruct her features. We will then know the identity of Mona Lisa.
The burning question for the past hundreds of years is the origin of her famous pursed lips and smirk, and why she did not smile!……………………… CONTINUE -->
Experts believe the woman could have been the wife of a merchant neighbor of da Vinci, whose name was Gherardini. Carbon 14 and DNA testing is being carried out to identify which skeleton dates back to the 1500’s. It is reported that only 2-3 women of that era are buried there. Sparse records seem to show that the other prospects are Lisa del Giocondo, and Isabella of Aragon. When she is finally identified, forensic science will use her facial skeleton to reconstruct her features. We will then know the identity of Mona Lisa.
The burning question for the past hundreds of years is the origin of her famous pursed lips and smirk, and why she did not smile!……………………… CONTINUE -->
…......... In her era, toothpaste was made up of fragments of china, dust from bricks, and ground up cow hooves. Teeth whitening methods of the day included ingredients of cuttlefish and pumice. These state of the art concoctions, no doubt removed stains from her teeth, but would have also removed tooth enamel. The mystery is solved, fashion models of the era were lucky to not have been movie stars, or TV personalities (because there were no movies or TV’s in the 1500’s)- since their state of oral hygiene lead to lousy looking teeth. Mona Lisa was a prisoner of her era’s dental technology, which lead to the most famous grin being toothless.
Your smile may never become as famous as Mona’s, but you can keep a smile that you will always be proud to show, with today’s cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as veneers, crowns, tooth whitening, INVISALIGN tooth straightening, teeth cleanings, tooth colored fillings, and other cosmetic dental procedures. For a complementary consultation, please CONTACT US.
http://jaymarksdmd.blogspot.com
Your smile may never become as famous as Mona’s, but you can keep a smile that you will always be proud to show, with today’s cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as veneers, crowns, tooth whitening, INVISALIGN tooth straightening, teeth cleanings, tooth colored fillings, and other cosmetic dental procedures. For a complementary consultation, please CONTACT US.
http://jaymarksdmd.blogspot.com
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