Catherine Olanich Raymond wrote:
On Sunday 13 July 2008 5:24:51 pm Anne wrote:
In the second picture, is that another brooch in the center front, do
you think? If the fabric was pinned together there, it would be tight
around the chest so the tortoise brooches might hold the pleats more
easily?
Interestingly, that formation is almost exactly like I was shown to make
a hangarock (18 years ago for a friend's wedding, so I don't know where
the research came from), except backwards. It was a tube with a big box
pleat in the centre back, sewn down along the top edge. I had such a
small bust, and such a long stride, that the pleat went all the way
round to under my arms! But certainly putting it in front would allow
for pregnancy.
Yes, the inset picture does seem to show a third brooch in the center. So far
as I know, no such brooch was found in the grave, but we don't have full data
on the find. It does show a narrow apron worn in front and positioned
between the tortoise brooches, which I'm skeptical about, since that approach
would also hide the silk trim on the apron dress.
I had interpreted it as the centre section of the apron dress, with a
big pleat under each brooch making that part stand out in front, rather
than an additional separate piece of fabric. If the pleat is big enough
that the fabric underneath meets at the centre front, then a brooch at
the centre could hold all those layers together. But it does seem odd
to indicate an extra brooch unless there was some evidence.
Jean
There are any number of ways in which a sewn pleat/s could be incorporated
into an apron dress. The only one that I know has been documented by a find
is this one, which was found in Denmark and is the subject of a
reconstruction model in the Danish National Museum. There's a photo of the
reconstruction about 2/3 of the way down on this page on the right:
http://www.vikingsofbjornstad.gbtllc.com/MuseumCopenhagen.htm
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