"Princess" Morgan King

This two year old is wearing a young lady's saya. Children wore smaller versions of adult clothing. Under her silk brocade and velvet gown, she too wears a chemise. On cool days she would lace her sleeves on. This dress is laced up the back to allow for a sudden growth spurt. Morgan has long since handed on her dress to a younger child.

Peasant children wore clothes made of wool or coarse linen.

"Of the hose I will not speak, Because of their hidden place, But their quality is such They do not fail to match All that has gone before."

Hose were a very important garment even if they were considered unmentionables. They were cut on the bias from linen, silk, or wool. They were quilted for extra warmth in winter. Knitted hose began to appear at this time. Hose were decorated with embroidery or had a little frill at the top. They were laced to the drawers or, more often, tied at the knees with ribbons or woven bands.

Mending or darning hose was an important chore for the poorer classes.

FOOTGEAR

Slippers, sandals, buskins, shoes, mules, pantofiles (low platform sandals), and chopines (high platform soles worn over slippers), were all worn by women of this period.

"When women are come to pray, or to chant the morning hymns, Their chopines frequently, go flying off and stray, Into the choir."

FABRICS

Spain has a long history of fabric production dating back to the 8th century. The conquest of Spain by the Moors in 711 lead to major developments in textile production. With improvements in irrigarion techniques for agriculture and the introduction of seraculture (silk worms and silk), Spain's textile industry grew to major importance. Cotton, silk and linen became important exports. Silk textiles were luxury goods, often woven into gold brocades. After the final Christian conquest of Granada, and expulsion of the remaining Muslims, the silk industry virtually disappeared.

Wool was another important product. It was often worn by the peasant class. Merino sheep were introduced to Spain during the thirteenth century.

COLORS

Indigo (Indigofera) a native plant of India was imported for blues. It has been grown in the British Isles since 1193.

Kermes produced scarlets - Al-Andalus was famous for its production and export of "qirmiz" (kermes) which is an insect similar to the New World cochineal that produces brilliant reds. This red dyestuff was prepared from the dried bodies of various female scale insects of the genus Kermes. The French kermès,is short for alkermès, from the Arabic al-qirmiz, probably from Sanskrit kRmi-ja-.

Madder - True madder (Rubia tinctorum), also called turkey red, is a dye plant native to S. Europe. The herb's long, fleshy root was the principal source of various brilliant red dye pigments

Saffron produced a high-quality, expensive yellow dye from its orange stigmas. A member of the Iris family, (Crocus sativus) this purple or white flower with orange stigmas was native to the Asia Minor. One ounce of saffrom powder requires stigmas from about 4000 flowers. The Moors introduced it into Spain in 711 A.D.

Safflower produced red or yellow, depending on how it's processed. It is a thistlelike Eurasian plant (Carthamus tinctorius) of the composite family, having heads of orange flowers that yield a dyestuff.

Woad (Isatis tinctoria) was cultivated in al-Andalus for its leaves that yielded a blue dye. (Sky-blue)

Other colors from that time included rose to browns, mulberry - a greyish to deep purple, greens, black and grey.

Women spent countless hours spinning flax into linen to make chemises for family members. Even queens and princesses were required to spin. It was concidered a status symbol to spin the finest linen. Mary King (below) works on a chemise for her daughter, Morgan (above). Notice the saffron and madder India cottons draped behind her.

Reference:Anderson, Ruth Matilda, Hispanic Costume, 1480 - 1530, Hispanic Society of America, New York, 1979.