History's most catastrophic costume party, hosted by a mad king who thought he was made of glass

The Bal des Ardents depicted in a 15th-century miniature from Froissart's Chronicles. The Duchess of Berry holds her blue skirts over a barely visible Charles VI of France as the dancers tear at their burning costumes. One dancer has leapt into the wine vat; in the gallery above, musicians continue to play. By Philippe de Mazerolles - This file has been…