Coronation Clothing of Roger II
[Note: The file folder mentioned in the following message is no longer in Files section of Yahoo Group. The message has been retained in the archive for reference. The suite of clothes in question are fairly well-know at this point (17 years later).]
“I uploaded a few files in the Extant Coronation Robes file folder created last night. I thought it would be cool to share the photos/drawings I have been collecting of 12th century extant garb, starting with the coronation goodies of the Holy Roman Emperor. I have quite a few more to come.
“Here’s where I need an opinion. I have scanned these at 300 dpi, and they are pretty large files so they are gobbling up the available file space on the group. Shall I post them at 300 dpi for a while and then replace them later with lower res files, and offer higher res image upon request? I have made the images at 100% of the original, but could also reduce the image.
“And when I’m done with the uploading, I’ll also add a text file with all the descriptive details as to source of image, current location of article, descriptive text given etc.
“I also anticipate that the scans of the extant silk for the fabric project will also eat up file space, so we need to start thinking about how to handle that. Again I’m considering a initial high res offering, and then reduction to lower res image. I thought it might be cool to burn a CD with the collection of high res images and offer it if you provide blank CD and SASE.”
~ Katrine / Katherine Barich
Message #279, October 9, 2002
“I found another interesting series of articles published as:
Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study and Conservation of Medieval Textiles
a group of papers presented by the International Council of Museums, Textiles Working Group, from their interim meeting in Palermo 22 – 24 October 1998.
“Although the articles span several centuries worth of textiles, a very complete article is given on the 12th century extant coronation robes/shoes for the Holy Roman Emperor.
“For those who have wondered what the Arabic inscription on the red silk mantle with the lions and camels says, the article informs:
“This belongs to pieces worked in the Royal workshop, (which has)
flourished with fortune and honour, with industry and perfection,
with might and merit, with (His) sanction and (His) prosperity,
with magnanimity and majesty, with renown and beauty and the
fulfilment of desires and hopes with felicitous days and nights
without cease or change, with honour and solicitude, with
protection and defence, with success and certainty, with triumph
and industry. In the (capital) city of Sicily in the year 528.”
(528 is 1133/34)
“The article also features a picture of the alb, recently discovered during restoration arabic inscriptions which were under the bands of the alb, socks and border detail from the same. Very cool.
~ Katrine / Katherine Barich
Message #292, October 13, 2002
Q: Wow! That’s a beautiful garmant. I wonder how the silk was woven?
Does this museum have any other pictures of clothing online?
“I’ll answer the second question first – yes the mantle is on line. If you go to our group page, under files, you will see that I have started a collection of images that belong to this family of stuff, [editor’s note: at the time of curation, that file was no longer in the group files – EMK] including detailed line drawings of the bottom trim on the alb too, making it easier to figure out. There is a lovely royal purple dalmatic in the museum as well, but the image is not on line. I should have access to a photo in about a week or too, which I will put on the group page as well. Keep tuned, that is a work in progress.
The question of what kind of silk is in the Alb is a good one and addressed, more or less, in the article “The mantle of King Roger II and related textiles in the Schatzkammer of Vienna” by Rotraud Bauer.
In 1980 there was restoration work down to the alb, and she theorizes, that since there is an additional layer (of purple violet samite with gold wire embroidery) under the current pearled neck decoration that this garment could have been a remake of an outer layer garment in to past, perhaps red or purple violet samite as well. She goes on to say:
“”There also have been several changes in the white gown: it
consists in all of five layers of white silks without pattern one
on top of the other. That means, when the fabric was not
considered as good enough anymore a new silk was layed (sic) on
top of the old one which was thus preserved underneath. It is
practically impossible to date silks such as these. From archive
material we know about repairs of the alba, for instance in 1520,
when the “white dalmatic damaged by its age” was covered with new
white silk. The same procedure was repeated in 1619 by the tailor
Paul Gademann, but we cannot confidently date individual silk
layers.
Further informative inscriptions are found on the ornamental
border at the bottom of the alba. The trimming consists of four
individually worked parts, two of which display the same motif.
On the front, on violet samite, are three rows with pairs of
addorsed griffons (the right part was sewn on upside down), on the
back, on natural coloured samite, are pairs of addorsed lions in
three rows. On the upper and lower borders of each of the four
pieces of hem trimming is, respectively, a Latin and and Arabic
inscription in gold wire embroidery.””
“Regarding the ground fabric of the mantle – this source is the first mention I have ever found to it being patterned:
“”Regarding the ground fabric on which the splendid embroidery is
applied, textile historians cannot reach an agreement about where
it was woven. Different scientists place its origin in lower
Italy, in Sicily, in Byzantium, or in Syria. I personally believe
that this material was imported from Byzantium. It is a red (not
purple but kermes dyed) heavy silk, a weft-face compound twill or
figured smitum which is in spite of its age of 860 years, scarcely
damaged. The pattern presents small motifs of tendrils and
medallions containing blossoms and leaves.””
“I’m just getting started into “Byzantine Silk Weaving AD 400 to AD 1200”. Granted, European people had several sources for silk outside of Byzantium, but I would like to propose that we start with the following statement as our opening volley for proven silks. There may be more! The article has nice diagrams of each of the weaves, for the dyslexic and the somewhat weaving impaired. If you’re interested, I’ll post a scan of it on the group page as well as the definitions of the terms below.
“Basically there are five weaving types amongst the extant silks
dating before 1200: Tabby, Twill Damask, Twill, Lampas and
Tapestry. They have either one or two systems of warp and weft
threads”.”
“That’s the best answer I can make to your question so far.”
~ Katrine / Katherine Barich
Message #305, October 15, 2002