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Period "Costumes"

Or

"Ah Hell Mercutio, I've got this great party over at the Capulet's and damned if I can't find a thing to wear!"

Ok. To tell you the truth I haven't had much luck with this.

See, 12th night is coming up and it has a Venetian Carnival theme to it with a masqued ball in the evening. So I thought it would be grand to actually find some period pictures of "costumes" to base my work on.

Not a web site. Not a painting. Not a carving or wood block print. Not even a book! Not in period at least. Now, I did find this:

I believe this to be out of period. I don't know too much about it, other than it's called "Masquerade Pantheon". In looking at it though, there appears to be a couple- at least- of colonial style outfits in the crowd (it's kind of like playing "Where's Waldo?"). It looks like it's to detailed to be a wood cut, so I wonder if it's a print. Many of the individuals appear to be charactures and not accurate representations of real people. Yet, something may still be gained by looking at. It's obviously a Carnival like celebration in a big mansion style house, or even possibly in a castle somewhere. Of course, if it's a political cartoon, or some other form of satire, everything can be greatly exaggerated.

Compare it to this:

This was a poster I found online (and the only other bit of pictorial- or otherwise- evidence that such parties actually existed.). Way out of period, but at least it's accurate representation of the people involved. It's a small picture- again I have no information on it-and it does not blow up well, so stare long at hard at it (I promise it won't suddenly change into a hideous face and scream at you). This too may be close enough to pull details from. On the other hand, it could be practically useless too.

So far I'm stumped. HELP!!!!

1/16/09

Ok, it's a week after the party and very few people actually made the attempt to "Masque" up for the occasion. I was terribly disappointed.

What a wonderful opportunity for a research project wasted. There were a lot of people who dressed Venetian (or at least Italian), and that was good but gee golly! Such an opportunity for extravagance flittered past, not to return again (until someone else attempts it, I suppose). It was very sad in that respect.

Otherwise, it was a really fabulous event!

It did serve to reinvigorate my brain-lust for the Masque Costume...

Well that sucked. FrontPage shut down and I just lost three hours of work. Sigh. I will re create the best I can.

So, in my searching I found my first big break...

Inigo Jones

Our boy Inigo made quiet a name for himself as an architect in Elizabethan/Jacobean times. He was born in 1573 and left us in 1652, leaving quiet a legacy for his Kin to enjoy. His life is very interesting and bear a goodly amount of study himself, but what I'm most interested in is his costuming.

Yes, his costuming.

Real, honest costumes.

For Masques...

A masque? Yup, a masque.

According to Merriam Webster Online, A masque is defined as such:

Etymology: Middle French masque

 

Date: 1526

and a Masquerade (for research's sake):

Middle French, from Old Italian dialect mascarada, from Old Italian maschera mask

Date:1587

Ah so! Inigo designed costumes for plays, for Masques. So why does this invade my research for Carnival Costuming? Because I had a bit of an epiphany. You see, I realized that there was no Halloween back then as we know it. In fact, there was no reason for wide spread costume usage, not like today. Further, such costumes would be too expensive for the the average individual to afford.

Think Cinderella, add in reality, and kiss goodbye the Royal Ball :-)

It stands to reason then, because of the lack of commercial costumes available and the proven ability of individuals to design such wonderful and splendid works of wearable art (don't worry, proof is coming!)-  the well to do would take the designs from stage and model their own costumes from that. That is, if they didn't borrow the costumes directly from the stage!

Back to our friend Inigo...

Halo, my name is Inigo Jones. You steal my designs prepare to die!

Sorry.

Anyway, back to our friend Inigo.

Inigo often paired up with a man by the name of Ben Jonson. Ben Jonson was a playwright, actor, and poet active in the very late 16th century and  early 17th century, with his heyday being reported as between 1606-1620. He wrote some rather famous Masques for the Royalty of England, amongst others and different works of varying dispositions. As examples of their work:

 

For the Masque of Blackeness It was first performed at the Stuart Court in the Banqueting Hall of Whitehall Palace on Twelfth Night, January 6, 1605. The masque was written by Ben Jonson at the request of Anne of Denmark, the queen consort of King James I, who wished the masquers to be disguised as Africans. Anne was one of the performers in the masque along with her court ladies, and appeared in blackface makeup.
For the Oberan, the Fairy King Oberon was performed on January 1, 1611 at Whitehall Palace, in the Banqueting Hall. Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the son and then-heir of James I, took the title role. (Prince Henry had wanted to stage the masque on horseback, but "his father vetoed the Idea.")
For the Neptune's Triumph for the Return of Albion The masque was intended as the major entertainment of the 1623–24 Christmas holiday season, and was scheduled to be performed on Twelfth Night, January 6, 1624. During the Jacobean era, however, attendance at the performances of the Stuart Court masques was coveted and controversial — especially among the foreign diplomats of the Court, who competed fiercely among themselves for admittance to the masques and especially for seating near the King. In the case of Neptune's Triumph, the dispute between the French and Spanish ambassadors was so intense that James I cancelled the performance.

For more pictures from our dear, dear friend Inigo, please click here.

1/18/09

But wait! There's more! On the age page above also references someone by the name of Bernardo Buontalenti.

Well, well, well! What is with All of these architects designing costumes? I'm guess being an architect wasn't nearly as lucrative of a career as it is today! Born in Florence (I am feeling a kindred spirit!) in1536, he was noted for many things, including- apparently- and incredibly sculpted grotto...

Notes to self to further research:

1. What were the differences between "Masque Costumes" and stage productions of the time?
2. Why does the architect Inigo Jones, a noted architect during that time- with a minor in stage design- have quite the reputation for Masque Costume design of the time? Seriously, drawing and all!
3. Why are such a things only spoken of, with very little pictorial history?

Give help here!