Courtly gallantry. Fashion of the Middle Ages in the 12th and 13th century.

6, 7, 1,
3, 2,
4, 5, 8, 9,

EUROPA. MIDDLE AGES. CIVIL AND MILITARY COSTUMES.

Fashion of the Middle Ages in the 12th and 13th century. Courtly gallantry. Pointed shoes. Knights and armament. Helmets, crest.

The fighter group no. 1 and the figures 2, 3, 4, 5 are reproduced after watercolours, which A. Dauvergne based on murals in the castle of Saint Floret in Auvergne, dating from the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century. The watercolours belong to the French artist. Ministry of Education.

The numbers 6, 7, 8, 9 are borrowed from an Italian manuscript of the National Library in Paris “The Novel of St. Graal” (Ms. 6964).
Courtly gallantry. The two figures 6 and 7 are characteristic examples of the costume in the middle of the 14th century, the so-called “narrow costume”, which, coming from France, spread over Italy and Germany and remained the dominant one throughout the century.

The custom of shearing off one’s beard appeared at the end of the 12th century, while the fashion of pointed shoes appeared already at the end of the 11th century to persist, with a brief interruption, until the end of the 15th century, after which it degenerated into the greatest extravagance.

The Lord’s tightly fitting doublet with “hanging belt” is embroidered with red hearts, which of course had a symbolic meaning in the age of courtly gallantry. As the scene of our miniature takes place in the house, the gentleman has taken off the wooden sandals that were worn under the tights in the street. How the shape of the pointed shoes or stockings was recorded even in the armour is shown by knight no. 8, who wears the form of the potted helmet with a red helmet cover and a fish as a crest, which at that time was only used in tournaments.

The lower hem of the helmet cover is knotted. The figure No. 3 with the jagged collar can already be regarded as a forerunner of the so-called “Zaddeltracht”, which of course only found its systematic training towards the end of the 14th century. The pointed helmets of the sword and lance fighters No. 1, 4, 5 and of the knight No. 2 are already equipped with full face protection.

Source: History of the costume in chronological development by Auguste Racinet. Edited by Adolf Rosenberg. Berlin 1888.

Related

A princely gathering. Middle Ages France 14th and 15th century.

War costumes in the Middle Ages. Flags, banners, standards.

Medieval civil and war costumes of Italy, France and England. The Litter.

Medieval clothing in France. 11th to 13th century.

The Doge of Venice from the 9th to the 16th century. Officials.

Glass painting in grisaille technique in the Middle Ages.

Female fashions in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Italian Renaissance.

Civil and military dress of the nobility in Italy of the 14th, 15th, 16th century.

The Hennin. Headdresses of the 15th century.

The Reticulated headdress of the 15th century. The Crespinette, Cauls.

Musical instruments of the Middle Ages from the 12th to the 16th century.

Frankish-Byzantine. Vestments of the Byzantine emperors and empresses.

The Carolingian Fashion Period 987 to 1270.

Byzantine Orthodox. Abyssinian. Patriarchal type. The imperial family.

Byzantine. The Emperor. Greek, Latin clergy. Ascetics and monks.

England from 1154 to 1216. Anjou-Plantagenet ruling dynasty.

Eleanor of Aquitaine. Medieval Queen 12th century.

The Duke of Normandy and the Norman conquest of England 1066.

Reign of Philip III and Louis VIII. The influence of the Crusaders.

The Origin of the Teutonic Order of Knighthood. The German Crusaders.

The First Crusade. Knights Hospitaller of the Order of Saint John.

The Knights Templar. The Second Crusade in the Middle Ages.