| Taken from
the Latin term sumptus, meaning expense, the sumptuary
laws were originally introduced to control luxury and
extravagance. Such
laws existed in China under the Chou dynasty (c. 1027-256
BC) and in medieval Japan.
In the West they were prevalent in
Roman and late Medieval times and during the reformation.
In republican Rome, such laws as the Oppian law (215 BC)
and the Didian law (143 BC) regulated dress and
entertainment.
In the late middle ages most
European states passed sumptuary laws, for example, King
Philip IV of France instituted laws in 1234 decreeing
that no commoner could wear fur, precious stones, or
gold; that no duke, count, or baron could have more than
four robes a year; and that no one who gave a dinner
could serve more than two courses besides the soup.
During the reformation, additional
sumptuary laws were passed in Switzerland, Italy, France
and England.
Modern Times...
...Modern legislation that
restricts the manufacture or use of certain goods (either
directly or indirectly through excise taxes) is sometimes
called sumptuary legislation, including the laws which
govern the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic
beverages.
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