The history of England from the time of William the Conqueror to that of
King John and Magna Carta furnishes a wealth of material for the mask.
Stories of William the Conqueror, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the
Canterbury Pilgrims and Ivanhoe, will come to your mind. English
costumes show little change from the IXth to the XIVth Century. The men
wore a sleeved tunic, rather short, partly open at the sides, confined
by a girdle. Over this tunic, usually very plain, was worn a mantle. It
was a universal custom to cross-bandage the legs from the knee down.
Pointed caps and shoes or low boots were worn. Women wore long tunics or
gowns with close-fitting sleeves, made loose and girt in about the
waist. A short tunic with very wide sleeves at the wrist was worn over
this. This garment was often richly embroidered. For the out of doors
there was an extra mantle with hood. Beautiful ornaments of gold and
bronze were worn by both men and women. Coverchiefs were worn over the
head, encircling the face and covering the throat and shoulders. The
coverchief later became the wimple. Women wore their hair flowing or in
two braids brought forward over the shoulders. The men wore flowing hair
and the two-pointed beard. The garments of royal persons were made of
very rich materials.
An illuminated portrait of Eleanor of Acquitaine represents her “with a
wimple with a circlet of gems; her under tunic fitting closely and
having tight sleeves is gathered into a rich collar about her throat;
over this dress is a long tunic, loose and flowing, bordered with
ermine, its full and open sleeves being lined with fur; and over all,
there is the ever-present mantle so adjusted that at the pleasure of the
wearer it might be drawn over the head.”
[Illustration:
_XIIIth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble_
]
Richard the Lion-hearted wore over a white under tunic a longer tunic
and an almost equally long crimson dalmatic slit up at the sides. The
latter garment had very full sleeves. The mantle of royal blue and gold
was fastened in the center over the chest by a large morse. He wore
gloves jeweled at the back of the hand, and enriched boots with spurs
attached with buckled straps.
Here is a description of a XIIIth Century costume of King John. At a
certain Christmas festival he appeared in a white damask tunic with
jeweled girdle and gloves, his mantle being of red satin embroidered
with sapphires and pearls.
[Illustration:
_XVth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble_
]
[Illustration:
_XVIth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble_
]