Haube with blackwork, needlelace and spangles.

The medieval tradition of covering the hair with a haube, a hood, as a sign of marital status continued during the 16th century. In the first years of the century the headwear was quite plain, mostly just white linen. But smaller embroidered ribbons with late gotic patterns started to appear and soon the embroidery on the haube could be quite large. 

 

When I made my last embroidered haube, to be found here, I though it would take longer before I made another one. But this summer I spend a lot of time in my summerhouse and needed something small to bring with me, and that was an embroidery. So when the summer was over I had a finished piece of embroidery, fit for a haube. It was quite wide, and long, so, a haube or a brustfleck. And I dont have a suitable dress for a brustfleck yet, so therefore, haube!

 

 

Its made with cross stitch in black silk on white linen.

The pattern for the main part was published in patternbooks 1579, 1582, 1586, 1588, 1589, 1596, 1598, and 1600. I used a portrait as long going inspiration for this piece, but its not the same pattern, just very alike. Its Portrait of an old lady by Nicolas Neufchatel from 1562. Here is her embroidered haube.

 

She wears a smaller wulst, the development of the headwear saw a reduction in size after the first decade of the 16th century. Later the wulst also started to lean a bit backwards, and this lady wears a haube that is an example of that. Mine is not that big, but a little bit to round to be 1560. Its more like 1510-20 in its form. On top of her wulsthaube she wears what I interpret as a haube, a cap, not a veil. 

 

For the outerparts I made the pattern up myself. Hers are more of little bugs, mine are more like little trees. 

 

Geometrical patterns (late Gotic) was common during the first part of the 16th century to be replaced by softer more natural forms (early Renaissance). Flowers where common motifs. Mine is a typical early renaissance pattern. 

This is when I was making the pleats in the back. They are secured with just one stitch in the back, attached to the straight back piece. Holes are then made in the sides to make a drawstring.

 

And from the inside.

 

And just lying flat from the inside.

 

The woman in the painting has spangles around her forehead. The technique holding the spangles could be needle lace. Needle lace is as an example used on the upper part of the Lengberg bra from the 15th century. My needle lace is made of pink handdyed silk. I could´nt figure out how the lace in the painting was done so I made my own. The inspiration for the pattern of the needle lace is from the Lengberg bra dress. It was the first time I tried to make needle lace and I struggled with the tension. 

 

I also made the spangles myself. A friend of mine made me tools for spanglemaking earlier this year and this is the first time I have used them on a garment. They are punched out of a silver sheet. 

 

 

 

On the top of embroidered haubes there are almost always a thin silk layer, to protect the embroidery I assume. So far I have not seen a painting of an embroidered haube without that covering layer. 

 

Without the covering silk gaze. 

 

So, I made a haube, again, for a dress I dont have. Embroideries like these where not for everyone. Silk was a status symbol for the wealthiest people in society. The quality of the fabric was a indicator of the status of the wearer. It was forbidden by law to dress above your class. It was a narrow social class that could purchase and wear this exclusive commodity. Silk-, gold- and pearlwork were restricted to the upper-classes. And here I used both a lot of silk and also silver.  

 

Photos by Anders Ragnarsson.

 

Source for needle lace:

https://www.academia.edu/7179007/One_Thread_Three_Techniques_Needle_Lace_Fingerloop_Braided_Laces_and_Sprang_at_Lengberg_Castle_East_Tyrol

Pattern:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/352225?searchField=All&sortBy=relevance&when=A.D.+1600-1800&ft=pattern+book&offset=380&rpp=20&pos=381

Landsknecht and trossfrau on the march

In the armies of 16th century Germany there where a lot of women and children. Often more than there where soldiers. Camp women belonged to the army and took part of its military functions, even though they did not fight. Woman had a supportive role, they did the cooking, they set up camp, they mend and wash clothing and so on... 16th century woodcuts often display landsknechts accompanied by their women. The pictures often shows a lot of emotion between the two, sometimes holding hands, sometimes a hand on a shoulder or leaning against each other. When a landsknecht army was on the march there was a lot of wagons, a lot of people walking, and a lot of people riding horses, not uncommon with two people together on a horse. She is riding in the back, sitting sideways, often with a lot of stuff with her. He is in the front, with a sword.

 

Im wearing my gown, a rock in German, in orange and red wool, a gollar in wool, wool socks, a linen smocked apron and a simple stuchlein and a hat with feathers. I also have handmade leather shoes. All the items are handmade by the way, not only the shoes. A friend of mine made the shoes, I made the rest. My skirt is tucked in around my belt, in a typical manner for the camp women, so that I could move more freely.

 

 

 This dress is made with a certain woodcut print in mind, Triumph of Maximilian. I tried to make it as the dress in the woodcut, but I added the red guards, just because I though it looked good. And I changed the colour, from pink to orange. Orange/yellow was one of the easiest colours to dye and I therefore thought it suitable for a camp woman´s dress.

 

It was the women's task to carry things, to organize, to set up camp. So I needed to bring as much stuff as I could up on the horse. A cushion from my sofa wrapped in linen-fabric, a blanket and a basket was used as props. The basket is a model that has occurred in woodcuts, but I cant find any right now.

My friend H is wearing a smocked shirt, made by me. A red and yellow doublet, with holes for attaching the hose along the waistline, a slashed hose in black and purple and red wool socks.He also has a coif and a red wool hat with a ostrich feather. Of course he also has a sword. And the typical oxmule shoe.

The photos are taken by Anders Ragnarsson.