Text Hist: Byzantine Empire and the Middle Ages

Byzantine Empire and the Middle Ages

300 AD-1400 AD

Byzantine Empire took over after he fall of the Roman Empire

Justinian and Theodora- stripper, she's Christian, ppl like her

• Christianity brought onto the scene, as it advances people become more and more covered up

•  Upper class men and women of the 6th Century Byzantine Empire each wore a tunic and a cloak called a paludamentum (secured with brooch) A large embroidered square at the front, called a tablion proclaimed their high status.

• Throughout the Middle Ages, the layers of clothing worn by men consisted of: linen under drawers called braies, from which the modern term breeches derives. A linen shirt called chemise was added. Then an Under Tunic and Over Tunic were also worn.

• Braies- tight-fitting breeches

• The Silk Road comprised a network of trade routes connecting Europe and China, from the 2nd century CE to 15th century CE. The Silk Road was very important for trading. 

  • The Byzantine Empire gained access to silk after taking it home from China, bringing silk to the West. 

• By the 11th Century, influences from eastern decorative art had transformed Byzantine clothing, adding extensive decoration to fabrics that were often made of luxurious silk manufactured and traded by the Byzantines.

• Jewelry and mosaics were huge- loved decoration

• Had patterns on tunics/patches- upper-class people could have theirs woven directly into the fabric, middle-class people could sew on embroidered patches, and the poor could patch on other fabric

  • Segemente- embroidered patches appliqued to fabric

• As a center of wealth and power, the Byzantine Empire influenced styles throughout Europe. Royalty adopted the Byzantine-type of ornamentation for their clothing and bought their silks.

• Dalmatic- larger oversized tunic that was popular for a time with men and women

  • Clavi- decorative bands of color appliqued to sleeves and body of the dalmanic

• Women's wear:

  • Stola- long tunic/gown worn belted

    • Decorated with segmente

  • palla - decorative shawl or wrap

  • Cap with padded roll and veil- denoting marriage

• The bliaut, a 12th-century garment worn by upper-class men and women was more complex in cut and fit than earlier garments, similar to a gown

• Men were sometimes bearded, but soldiers were usually clean-shaven probably because beards were uncomfortable under helmets

• A coif was the most frequently used head covering for common men, but men and women both wore them

  • Used for underarmour protection purposes too

  • Aligns with Christian ideas about covering up a much as possible

The Late Middle Ages

c. 1300 - 1500

• 14th Century: Styles continue to be loosely fitted, much like those of the late 1200s. Angelike sleeves keep being developed, decoratively simplier

• New garments for men appear:

  • Pourpoint, also called a doublet or gipon- tailored, jacket, buttons, and button holes

  • Houppelande- men and women both wore, length of garment is related to age of men young wore shortest old wore longest

• The crusades- organized by the church to spread the Christian gospel and to get the Holy city back

  • brought groups of people together and shared cultures throughout Europe, allowing the exchange of fibers and fabrics and Venetian glass beads

• Outdoor garments for men:

  • Garnache

  • Herigaut- cape w hood on it

  • Cloak- worn over everything else

• Wild ass shoes with long points and tied them to your knees- Pointed Poulaines or Crakowes

• As Doublets grew shorter in the 15th Century, so did braies.