Query of the Sleeve

Stuttgart WLB, cod. fol. library. 56, <

origin: Abbey of Zwiefalten, 1125-1130

It is fair to say that I love my academic pursuits.  I love working on papers like when I was in college.  A current project of mine is a full paper on the bliaut, including underpinnings and accessories.  While investigating for the paper, I cruised through a French site of a 12th century reenactor and an idea she proposed for an under dress caught my eye.  Though I didn't entirely agree with the execution, the idea was enough to propel me into doing my own research.

Originally when I was viewing these and similar images, I wasn't really paying a whole lot of attention to the under dresses.  I was looking at the construction and embellishment of the over dresses and the adornments.  But now that the images have caught my eye, looking carefully it would seem that sleeve of the under dresses are tight up around the wrist and the billow out and follow the curve of the overlaying pendant sleeves.  They are rather full and often ripple around the edges of the over dress.  Occasionally they appear to be open, with the bell laying flush against the over dress sleeve pendant and other times they appear to be closed with one long front center seam.  The cuffs often have the trapunto look I adore.



12th Century German palster of Philosphia

Not all full sleeves that ripple over the outer dress appear to be this billow type of under dress and could very well be just a full lining.  However, there is one image that I do find interesting and does depict that billow under sleeve rather sharply.  I did try to chase down the original source having found it in groups, Pintrest, blogs, and even a Spanish language site devoted to 12th century philosophy and it's effect on the Christian church, but I didn't find a whole lot.  I am sure some day I will learn more on it.  However, the sleeve is the thing.  You can see it flows from the wrist on down showing that it is not a sleeve lining, but a part of the underdress itself.  Even the skirt flowing out from under the much more narrow over dress contains more volume and fabric, indicating something rather luxurious lays beneath.

It is worth researching further to determine if it was something done.  While most examples seem to be German, I don't recall seeing any immediately French examples.  But then again, this is a notion I only began to play with this morning and so I have only begun to scratch at it, though the same images keep on popping up again and again on my internet searches as I try to make it past the groups and sites where my curiosity begins. 

More digging is needed!!