Saturday, May 18, 2013

Stuart Fashions

From the Royal Collection Trust:
In the Tudor and Stuart periods, even armour followed fashion. The ornate set belonging to the 13-year-old Henry, Prince of Wales (c.1607) was designed to echo the full breeches and V-shaped doublets of the day.  The armour was a gift from a French nobleman and a statement of great extravagance, particularly since the young Prince would soon have outgrown it.  Heir to the English and Scottish thrones, Henry died of typhoid fever at the age of 18, and his younger brother succeeded him as the ill-fated Charles I.

Other works on display include a gold and diamond signet ring given to a young Henrietta Maria Queen by her husband Charles I in around 1628, three years after their marriage, and Mary II’s patch box made of enamelled gold set with diamonds.  In the 17th century, black fabric patches were stuck to the face to emphasise the creamy white skin of the leisured class and to conceal blemishes.  They were applied using saliva or adhesive and produced in a variety of shapes, from crescents and flowers to animals. (Read entire article.)
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