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.