Maas Embroideress design sketch

[kimikosews]

Yeah, I've been occupied elsewhere, and finally got my mind back to the big project ahead of me. While I've lost time, in some ways in a few short weeks, I'll be gaining large chunks of time with the kids back in school full time (yippeee, Kermit arms flailing in joy!!!). So, I've been enjoying being with the kids while summer for them remains. I

Comments

Re: Effigies

[docryder]

Also note that she has mounds to her bosom - it isn't flat and straight. I don't think she's wearing an undergarment/kirtle that is fully boned or busked. Ninya states that there are other effigies that are similarly curvy during this time frame and earlier. She shared another photo of a Tudor effigy showing one very chesty but headless woman. It had cleavage even!

It may be that the effigy may have been sculpted from another piece of art (a painting) that displayed her standing, with her breasts as they would appear in that position, or sculpted from her standing. In such a case, her breasts would appear to stand more, rather than sag to the armpits. Effigies were supposed to capture the person in their prime, and not display their faults.

Re: Effigies

[kimikosews]

Ah, sorry for the confusion Craig. It isn't the thought about them sagging as they will do when one is lying down, it is that they are rounded and not forced into a flatter shape from the compression of boning or a busk inserted into an undergarment. Later effigies, lying or standing, usually have a flatter front appearance which suggests more boning or the use of a busk in the later period.

There is debate as to when boning was used to support the torso, so this effigy is another visual cue that it may not have been widely used in England at the point the effigy (or its original inspiration source painting) was created.

Re: Effigies

[docryder]

Ah. Okay, that makes more sense. :-)

[lirianna]

Since I speak from a very inexperienced and unstudied place, I hesitate even asking this...

Are there images in period of black gowns trimmed in colors? The one above appears to be solid black but the picture is small so I am not 100% of that even.

Just a thought... I wonder if our 20-21st century aesthetic would welcome red trim on an entirely black gown but did theirs? I don't know... just thinking out loud here...

[kimikosews]

You know, I'm not sure. I've seen so many paintings that are black on black (drives me batty trying to make out details). I've seen red trimmed in black, and other colors trimmed in black or other colors.

But you are right that our color sense is not the same as theirs, which is why I am wondering if trimming in red on black would have been a period thing to do.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I do appreciate that. :-)

[kimikosews]

Thank you. It has been helpful for me to figure out the smaller details when I do this, things I used to miss before. Things that I also don't see done much in renfaires in my area, but that's a whole other thought line...

:-)