In "The Medieval Tailor's Assistant," Sarah Thursfield illustrates 15th century dress with the following image.
Scene from mass baptism, 1468, Flemish/Burgundian Chronisques du Hainaut, Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels MS 9243, f.72 It is Thursfield's plate nine on page 103 The image shows men and a woman undressing. The woman is wearing a fur lined houppeland with close cut mitten sleeves. Underneath she is wearing a square neck kirtle with a wide, possibly jeweled, belt. She is also wearing a partlet, or the equivalent, possibly silk. A man in the image is removing a fur lined houppeland with wide, closed sleeves (but not hanging). Underneath he is wearing a puff-sleeved short jerkin and hose with points. He may also have on a belt, but it isn't clear. Under his jerkin, which has an open front secured by some kind of lacing, he has on a white shirt. The four other men in the image are wearing more conservative jerkins, older style cotes or short houppelands. Two are clearly jerkins and the other two are ambiguous. One man is receiving assistance with his joined hose while still wearing a belted short cote or houppeland that is slit at the sides to the hip. (It could also be a pleat.) His legs are bare and he may not have another garment (except for shift and braes) underneath. Hopefully you can locate a copy of the image. The detail and variety of clothing is excellent. Joan _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
