Lovely 6th c. non-Kentish Anglo-Saxon impressions. Gorgeous simplicity with great details.
www.facebook.com/Thegns/posts/3471223422991400Early Anglo-Saxon ladies (6th century, Midlands) - team members Georgina and Beth.
Both are shown wearing peplos dresses; one of yellow and brown contrast diamond twill wool (after fragments from a 6th century burial from Ganton Wold, Yorks) achievable using luteolin (weld, greenweed and others) and tannin-based dyes, and the other of finer diamond twill wool of a uniform sea green achievable by plantdyeing with woad and weld. Contrast twills are evidenced from a number of textile finds, but dye traces are usually too rare, degraded and diffused in most cases for contrasting colours of warp and weft yarns to be identifiable, so even where early Anglo-Saxon fabrics were elaborately patterned, in most cases it may been originally visible only in the texture of the weave, rather than picked out by colour.
The peplos dress is believed to have been the standard garment for women in late antiquity in Britain, gradually replaced in the 7th century by fitted sleeved dresses. The peplos was at its simplest a tube of wool formed from a single rectangular bolt of wool, which was then pinned on the shoulders; its ease of construction meant minimal waste of fabric from tailoring, and it could also be easily deconstructed, recycled into other garments or converted to a cloak or bedding. Both classical Roman depictions (such as those of “Germanic” women on Trajan’s Column) and textile remains from Anglo-Saxon burials suggest the garment was very often pinned together at the top hemline, sometimes with tabletweave to reinforce it, but remains of a folded edge on brooches from burials suggest that the peplos was sometimes a more voluminous garment with a fold-down flap, which is best represented by the well preserved dress of the “Huldermose Woman” of Iron-Age Denmark.
Both Beth and Georgina are shown wearing sleeved linen under-dresses, the existence of which can be inferred from a secondary layer of textile adhesions on the backs of brooches from some contexts, and the presence of “wrist clasps” in Anglian regions, sometimes with corresponding textile adhesions, alongside the usual arrangement of peplos dress items, indicating that a tight-sleeved garment was often worn beneath. Such under-gowns could be of linen or fine wool - linen typically being of plain (tabby) weave. Although expensive linen would be a more comfortable option, there is little evidence for it having been dyed, and so early Anglo-Saxon women may have opted for wool under-gowns not just due to differences in expense or availability, but because of the much richer range of colours possible with wool. Beth’s gown is of natural unbleached and undyed plain-weave linen (hand-sewn herself this summer) while Georgina’s is an older attempt in herringbone twill linen soon to be replaced. Both ladies are shown with their peplos dresses pinned on both shoulders with matching pairs of bronze small-long, and openwork disc brooches respectively, both sets similar to finds from Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, with a small swag of assorted glass beads strung between.
In time we hope to upgrade both impressions with assemblages of complimentary dress items based on under-appreciated Midlands collections.
Images taken in front of the Anglo-Saxon great hall at Wychurst, early September 2020, during filming with Blowyourtrumpetfilms.com and Regia Anglorum for Tamworth Castle’s new “Battle and Tribute” exhibition all about the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. ... See MoreSee Less
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Because I mentioned it to a friend last night I'll repeat it here.
A few weeks ago my husband and I put on garb, hung out by a propane fire in our back yard and hopped on zoom with friends while telling stories.
Leading up to the night I was dragging my feet about dressing up. I didn't want to bother putting on garb. I didn't want to put my hair up. Eventually I did it anyway.
Here's the thing.. once I had the garb on I caught a glance of myself in the mirror and got a HUGE shot of joy. Dopamine? Idaknow. It reminded me what I like about my hobby and that even when the world is going to hell there are good people I like who are not awful.
I highly recommend it. ... See MoreSee Less
This is a lovely Native American marshal impression. I wish I knew who to tag as the person in the armor. Well done!
H/T to Stelios Amenophis Onuris who brought this impression to my attention. ... See MoreSee Less
Now is the time for my annual Post-Pennsic Project Purge (AKA Project Bankruptcy). This year with added Pandemic.
Take all of your project list and throw them out...
Now is the perfect time. ... See MoreSee Less
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