Male medieval city fashion - What did men where in the middle ages?

It has come time to look at what the men of the city were wearing in the medieval period. As usual I am interested in the period between 1000 and 1550. I will look both at workmen’s clothing, merchant and artisans’ clothing in the period. The post is structured into these three categories and the pictures is arranged chronologically. This is a work in progress and I will note the date here when it was last edited.

Last edited: 17/5 2017

Let me know

If you know when/where a picture without a source is from, please leave a comment. If you know of a great picture that I should include, please also comment.

Workmen and crafts people

In this section I look at what the people doing manual labour wore; smiths, carpenters, workmen, dockworkers etc.

The miniature from a 1300s German manuscript shows the class division within the town 14th century Manuscript Biblioteca Municipale, Trento

Bedford Hours, 1410 – 1430 15th-century treasure owned by Henry V’s brother, the Regent of France

Detail from the Bedford Hours c. 1410-1430

the Bedford Hours c. 1410-1430

Might this be the architect or the benefactor? Detail from the Bedford Hours c. 1410-1430

the Bedford Hours c. 1410-1430

Workmen loading a boat, 1437 Stories of St. Nicholas of Bari: The Holy meets Put imperial; save a load of grain for the city of Mira; saves a ship from sinking, central panel of the predella. inv 40252

Crucifiction, c. 1436-1443, Psalter and Hours, Dominican use (the ‘Prayerbook of Alphonso V of Aragon’)

“La grant hystoire Cesar”, Royal 17 F II, 1479

Detail from “La grant hystoire Cesar”, Royal 17 F II, 1479

Venetian gondoliers wear open-fronted, slashed doublets and hose divided into upper and lower sections, 1494. Source unknown

“Hunting on the Lagoon” by Vittore Carpaccio c. 1490 – 1495

Food merchants

Butchers, bakers, spice merchants, wine sellers etc.

Albucasis, Tacuinum sanitatis, Allemagne (Rhénanie), XVe siècle Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, Latin 9333, fol. 74

Albucasis, Tacuinum sanitatis, Allemagne (Rhénanie), milieu du XVe siècle Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, Latin 9333, fol. 73

Albucasis, Tacuinum sanitatis, Allemagne (Rhénanie), XVe siècle Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, Latin 9333, fol. 75

Albucasis, Tacuinum sanitatis, Allemagne (Rhénanie), XVe siècle Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, Latin 9333, fol. 65

Raisins (fol. 54), Tacuinum Sanitatis (BNF Latin 9333), 1400’s

A man making hypocras in a hypocras sive. Notice the two large sugarloafs.

I am not sure when or where this one is from, but the red border says Tacuinum sanitatis. But which one?

I am not sure when or where this one is from

Artisans

In this section I look at what tailors, cooks, potter, etc wore.

L’apprentie couturière Albucasis, Tacuinum sanitatis, Italie (Milan), vers 1390-1400 Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, NAL 1673, fol. 94

A tailor shop in action. A man is fitting a robe. From La boutique de B.A 1415

A man making shifts. A man making hats. One making belt pouches. A man looking at a hat. They look to be felt hats. From Schachzabelbuch–Cod.poet.et.phil.fol.2. Konrad van Ammenhausen; Hagenau; 1467; 203r.

A potter at his wheel From: Nigidius and his argument about the fate of twins, derived from the potter’s wheel, The City of God (MMW 10 A 11, fol. 232v), c. 1475-1480

Albucasis, Tacuinum sanitatis, Allemagne (Rhénanie), XVe siècle Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, Latin 9333, fol. 104

Carpenter, c. 1425-1428 The Mérode Altarpiece – Joseph As A Medieval Robert Campin

Scribes and painters

the Bedford Hours c. 1410-1430

Jean de Meun wearing a blue robe, belted with a belt purse. He is also wearing a red beret. He has messy chin long hair. He is busy penning a manuscript. Notice how much fabric is in his robe. Detail of a miniature of Jean de Meun writing his book, from the Roman de la Rose, Netherlands (Bruges), c. 1490 – c. 1500, Harley MS 4425, f. 133r

The painter is wearing a belted blue robe and a little red cap. His hair is shoulder length. Detail of a miniature the painter Zeuxis painting nude models, Harley MS 4425, f. 142r

Merchants

In this section I look at what the people selling stuff wore, from the rich spice or cloth merchant to the more lowly people at the marked.

From Deuxième moitié XIIIe : Canon de la médecine, Avicenne, 1250-1300, Paris (Besançon, B.m., ms. 0457, f. 365, 457)

Wine drinking, c. 1330-1340 From: ‘Trattato sui sette vizi’ (1330-1340 circa), British Library, Londra.

Female Personifications of Hatred, Evil, Vileness, and Greed; Unknown; Paris, France; about 1405; Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment bound between pasteboard covered with dark red morocco; Leaf: 36.7 x 26 cm (14 7/16 x 10 1/4 in.); 83.MR.177.2

Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Library, Cod. Guelf. 37.19 Closed 2 ° Thomasin Vlašský guest (W) – Southern, 3rd quarter of the 1400’s

Orose, Faits et choses du monde, France (Lyon), vers 1480 Paris, Arsenal, manuscrit 5081, fol. 33v.

Sadly I have not been able to find where this is from or when. But I really like the image so I am including it.

Marinus van Reymerswaele, Gli usurai, 1540

Marinus van Reymerswaele, Il cambiavalute e sua moglie, 1540

A Goldsmith in his Shop, Petrus Christus, 1449

City dwellers

City dwellers outside work.

St. Francis Renounces All Worldly Goods by Giotto, 1297-1299, Italy

Raising Of The Boy In Sessa Giotto, 1311-1320, Italy

St. Francis Honoured By A Simple Man Giotto, 1300, Italy

The Massacre Of The Innocents Giotto, 1305, Italy

Notice the bottoms on the jacket. He is wearing braies, a shirt and chausses under his jacket. He is also wearing a coif and black shoes. Christine de Pisan (1364 – c. 1430), Book of the Queen

[folio 060v] MS. Douce 195 (Le roman de la rose) Robinet Testard. 1400’s

“La grant hystoire Cesar”, Royal 17 F II, 1479

the Bedford Hours c. 1410-1430

Book of Hours. Heures de Nôtre Dame (use of Troyes and Sens) : manuscript, [ca. 1470]

“La grant hystoire Cesar”, Royal 17 F II, 1479

15th century (ca. 1488) France Jean Hey, Master of Moulins – Meeting at the Golden Gate (detail)

Detail of a miniature of Pygmalion and the statue, Harley MS 4425, f. 177v

The jealous husband is wearing a blue robe. We can clearly see the seems. He is also wearing a black belt and a large belt purse. On his head he wears a black hat. He has gribbed her wife by the hair leaving her veil and cap on the floor. She is wearing a red surcote with a green cote underneath. Black hose and small black shoes. The neihbours in the background also have pretty interesting clothing. Detail of a miniature of a jealous husband beating his wife, while neighbours look on, Harley MS 4425, f. 85r, c 1490-c 1500

The neihbours: The lady is wearing a blue cote, a white head wrap and an apron. The man is wearing a red robe belted with a purse. He is wearing a soft blue hat while the man in the background looks to wear a red bag hat. Detail of a miniature of a jealous husband beating his wife, while neighbours look on, Harley MS 4425, f. 85r, c 1490-c 1500

Old man in a loose short belted robe or tunic wearing hose and a little hat. Notice the wide sleeves. From: The Epistles of Ovide, translated by the late Bishop of Angouleme, named OCTOVIEN DE SAINT GELAIS. Date of publication: 1501-1600

Sorgheloos (“Carefree”) in Poverty, 1510–20. Netherlandish

“Netherlandish Proverbs” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1559

Merry makers

Party goers, musicians, teater people, juggler, fools etc.

A juggler from a tonary. Properly at a noble’s court rather than in the street. From (Brit. Lib. Harley 4951, fol. 298v), late 11th century. 2014-08-16.

Musician playing the harp Dijon, 0014 ms, origin: Cistercian abbey, 1009-1111

Musician playing a stringed instrument. Dijon, 0014 ms, origin: Cistercian abbey, 1009-1111

Musician playing a stringed instrument. Brit. Lib. Harley 4951, fol. 298v), late 1000’s

England c.1125. Arundel 91 BL

Musicians playing bells and a horn. German, 12th century. British Library.

Musicians wear two long tunics, one over the other. The tunic on the left is an early example of mi-parti or particolored clothing, made from two fabrics. Cantigas de Santa Maria, mid-1200’s, Spain.