Description: The best new research on medieval clothing and textiles, drawing from a range of disciplines.
Following the Journal's tradition of drawing on a range of disciplines, the essays here also extend chronologically from the tenth through the sixteenth century and cover a wide geography: from Scandinavia to Spain, with stops in England and the Low Countries. They include an examination of the lexical items for banners in Beowulf, evidence of the use of curved template for the composition in the Bayeux Tapestry, a discussion of medieval cultivation of hemp for use in textiles in Sweden, a reading of the character of Lady Mede (Piers Plowman) in the context of costume history, the historical context of the Spanish verdugados (in English, the farthingale)and its use as political propaganda, an analysis of the sartorial imagery on a tabletop painting (attributed to Bosch) depicting the Seven Deadly Sins, and the reconstruction of one of the sixteenth-century London Livery companies' crowns.Brief description: Monica L. Wright is the Granger and Debaillon Professor of French and Medieval Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA. Her research focuses on the use of clothing in medieval French literature.
Review Quotes: Together these papers provide varied and thoughtful insights into many aspects of medieval clothing and textiles and, as such, this volume is a must for those interested in all these facets.-- "MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY"