Lady Ailionora inghean Ronan

(mka) Janet L. DeGregoria

Shire of Nordenhal

This garment would have been worn by a woman of upper class status at the very least. The gown took slightly over nine weeks of full time hand sewing. I referred to the website "Italian Renaissance Gown Construction" which has much information on gowns of this period, and is presented by Mistress Leona d’Sle and Mistress Enid d’Auliere. It can be found at www.Geocities.com/leonadeste/renbk/rendressbook.html Much invaluable advice was also offered by Senora Catalina D’Oro, and my thanks are abundant to her.

A gown very similar to this one is worn by the subject of the painting GIRL WITH CHERRIES, a work by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis in ca. 1494, which can be found in the online collection of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. In looking at paintings of the time, the closely fitted sleeves tied with ribbons place the style at the turn of the century. There was wide variety of necklines worn, and the chemise is still being worn, as is obvious in the painting.

The velvet of the time was much heavier, and would have been ¹dyed with brazilwood, cinnabar, lead oxide, crab shells or a specific type of maple (Acer Campestra). Lime water (vinegar), alum, gum arabic, verdigris, black dye, zindlot (Serratura Tinctoria), and human urine were other components of the red dye. This light weight velvet was both affordable and available, however I found it necessary to add weights at the hem to compensate for the difference in bulk. The yellow color of the underskirt was achieved with a ¹variety of combinations of orpiment, alum, lime water (vinegar), parts of barberries (Berberis Vulgaris), and bits of brasilwood and the fabric would have been a heavy linen or silk.

Crosses were among the religious themes of much of the art and ornamentation during this time, and gemstones were not uncommon on clothing of the upper classes.