I have two questions:
One, when did particolor come into vogue? Is it period for
the 12th-13th centuries?
Two, anyone that has Period Patterns 21 (14th and 15th century
cotehardies and sideless surcoates), can you
look at it and tell me if either
the View IV or V surcoats might be carry-overs from the 12th-13th century?
In other words, for those of you without the pattern that can
answer this, was it period for
surcoates of the 12th-13th centuries to have the skirt and bodice be of two different fabrics, with
the top fabric evidently being fur?
Thanks for any help you can give me!
~ Rachael
Message #723, January 15, 2003
Yes, I can find
examples [of particolor] in both
centuries.
No, surcoats of the 12th and 13th century generally echoed the
gown in general shape, but were sleeveless, and the arm hole
might
be only a bit enlarged.
I really think this [surcoats with a fabric skirt and fur bodice] is more of a
14th century style.
~ Katrine / Katherine Barich
Message #724, January 15, 2003
Just for those who are interested. It’s not so much that the fur is the
“top fabric”. It’s that the surcoat started out in the 12th century
as a sleeveless dress, lined with fur and laced up the sides. It became
fashionable to wear it with the sides unlaced and the fur lining showing as
trim during the 13th century. The size of the cut out at the sides gradually
grew and the amount of fur trim got wider and wider until it met in the middle
and swallowed up the whole top area.
~ Rowena / Brenda Sibly
Message #725, January 15, 2003
I’ve only seen 14th century particolour garments, but they were quartered colurwise (ie bottom left and
top right red, bottom right and top left blue. Gores cut into half to fit with this colour scheme). Since (with
the possible arguable exception of the Chartres
statues) I haven’t seen any other
garments with seams at the waist (and indeed the cut of most non-Chartres garments is so unfitted as to suggest
there wasn’t one), this kind of
seam would be dubious I’d think. (mind you this is just my personal opinion).
~ Teffania / Tiffany Brown
Message #726, January 15, 2003
I’d really like to
see pictures of 12th C surcoats. I know there is
textual evidence for them, but i see few pictures, and probably miss most
of them when I do.
So, since there IS textual evidence about pelicons (or so i’m told, and am
happy to believe). can anyone show me the corresponding visual evidence
from primary sources? PLEAASE…
So would I! Unfortunately almost all of the
evidence I have is textual, and I’m still hunting for pictures myself. The
trouble is that the 12th century surcoat/pelicon was a garment worn for warmth,
much as we’d wear an overcoat, while the mantle is worn as a status symbol.
When people are pictured, the artists usually showed them in garments that
showed there rank, so the surcoat/pelicon doesn’t appear to feature in the
artwork, even though the literature mentions them a lot. Later the position
changed and the surcoat became much more of a status symbol, so it got shown
much more often.
~ Rowena / Brenda Sibly
Message #727, January 15, 2003