A costume of the Count Elector August of Saxony

Those of you who study 16th century clothing are probably aware of the yellow and black suit of the count Elector Moritz of Saxony  (Good photos of the costume here). It is exhibited at the Dresden Rüstkammer and has been published in a 2008 publication from the Abbegg Stiftung. The Abbegg stiftung (foundation) is this extremely cool organisation that collects and conserve textiles - from ancient to the 19th century. Their museum is well worth a visit and their publications are top class. It was sheer will power that stopped me from buying more than these three. And the risk of having to pay for overweight on the plane.

You can see that I bought the book with Moritz' clothing.

However, Moritz was not the only count elector whose black and gold clothing has been preserved in the Rüstkammer. While visting the Abbegg Stiftung in Riggisberg this week  for the Dressing the early Modern Network's conference A taste for the exotic, which was organized in collaboration with the Abbegg foundation, we had the opportunity to visit their conservation workshops to see some of their current projects. The one that interested me most was a costume that belonged to Moritz of Saxony's successor: August.

Painting by Lucas Cranach the Younger, c 1572. From wikipedia

Very reasonably we were not allowed to take photographs from the studio. There will be a publication on this costume in either 2019 or 2020, which will undoubtedly provide both excellent photos, patterns and construction details.

However, I did make some sketches and notes and when I got home I made some better sketches, with pencil, pen and water colour.

While the yellow dominates in the costume now, it would have been dominantly black when worn, being completely covered with the black, embroidered net. The exception is the bodice of the doublet, which would not have been seen when worn with the jerkin.

As these drawings are made from sketches, notes and memory there are omissions and possible misunderstandings and mistakes, but until we have the publication it at least gives an idea of the costume. Including the interesting fact that the stockings were stitched to the bottom of the trunk hose, which would made it so much easier for them to be nice and taut, without wrinkling.

Now with trim

I have added trim to the neck and armscyes of my 1370s sleeveless gown and updated the page for that outfit in accordance with this. Here.

An old gown returns

I made this gown, a winter bliaut from medium thick wool in 2003. I wore it to one event, when I was tired and feeling sick, because I was pregnant with Maja.

After that it was definitely too small for me, so I gave it to a friend. Because I have thin arms even when I'm heavier she couldn't use it. She was going to change it, but never got around to. And today she returned it to me, since I can fit into it again.

I don't plan to wear it without headwear and with jeans and a short sleeved shirt under ;)

Blue

I felt so very, very pretty in my pink Saxon court gown, thrown together just for a themed party at Double Wars this year.

So I decided that I needed to make a slightly more historically correct one. I say slightly, because I will be using cotton velvet, but it's better than nylon velvet or whatever this gown was made from. 

I just have to decide if I'm going to have stripes from damask or from velvet, and how many, which design to use for the sleeves etc.

Blue isn't the most common colour in early 16th century German female dress, but I have collected quite a few of them.

Lucas Cranach:

Hunting near Hartenfels Castle

Das Sächsische Stammbuch

The Fountain of Youth

Don't remember the title, but it's from 1537, that I know.

Other artist from the Germanic areas

Uta von Schauenburg holding a dog from Weingartener Stifterbüchlein (circa 1510)

(1509-1510) Switzerland -  Basel, Universitätsbibliothek AN II 3 Matriculation Register of the Rectorate of the University of Basel, Volume 1 (1460-1567)

Splendor Solis, Das grosse Waschfest vor der Stad,1531

More Splendor Solis

Albrecht Altdorfer:

Austrian 1510-1520

c. 1501 Hans Burckmaier - Triumph of Maximilian I

Bernhard Strigel - Bride picture of a patrician lady

Suzanna of Bavaria, Margravine of Brandebourg-Culmbach by Barthel Beham

Masquerade, c. 1515 Rosenwald Collection

 Kantonsbibliothek Appenzell Ausserrhoden, CM Ms. 13

Some of these are lower class gowns, which would have been made from wool or wool mix fabrics, but s you can see there are also examples from the nobility. 

I have yellow damask that would look nice with my teal blue velvet and I coudl be inspired by the examples from the Sächsiche Stammbuch. But I would also feel like I'm wearing the Swedish flag.

I need to think about it some more.

Oldie, but cutie

A page about Maja's second 16th century outfit, from when she was one year old.

I'm obviously on a roll

Since this is the fourth gown/costume that I have made a page for the last two weeks.

I give you my 16th century sottana in shot silk (made in 2008-9)

I have made a summer working outfit from 1370s Italy

And here is the documentation and more photos.

I am quite sure that people will wrinkle their noses at me when I wear this at medieval markets, thinking that I am wearign some kind of fantasy dress ;)

My mi-parti brocade Italian gown

My mi-parti brocade Italian gown from 1325-1330 now has a small page of its own.