Elizabethan Geek

Subject:	Mary Hill, Mrs. Mackwillian
Artist:	Master of the Countess of Warwick
Date:	1567
Source of image:	City of Manchester Art Galleries
Uploaded by:	KatRowberd
Upload time:	2003-08-20 09:05:12

Reviews

Review by:

KatRowberd

There are several interesting aspects of Mrs Mackwillian's clothing.

First, she wears a loose black gown similar to those seen throughout the 1560s only it has shorter sleeves and is not fastened in front. In fact the sleeves are really just sleeve caps or big rolls, with puffs of white fabric showing through slits in the fabric.

At first I thought she was wearing a loose kirtle, but two things dissuaded me of it: first, it has a low square neckline, which is seldom seen on loose kirtles, and secondly the pattern does not match up above and below her hands, leading me to believe there is a seam there. The kirtle is either white or pale grey, embroidered with a geometric knotwork/strapwork sort of design. Many people would assume that it was embroidered using blackwork techniques (double running or "Holbein" stitch in a counted pattern) but I would not agree with that; I think it is most likely a fine silk cord couched on the surface of a silk fabric, because blackwork is seldom seen in outer garments at this time.

The shirt, however, is definitely blackwork. It is embroidered in an all-over design of repeating motifs about an inch wide. The shirt has an integral double-layered ruff edged with narrow lace and worn tight around the jawline. The cuffs have matching ruffs. The neck opening of the shirt is worn slightly open - a relatively uncommon sight and one often associated with unmarried women, but this is definitely a married woman! The sleeves of the shirt are protected by a fine silk gauze over-sleeve (this is one of the first examples we see of this - it becomes much more common in the 1580s).

Mrs Mackwillian's headgear is a French hood, a very late example of the style. Her hair however is slightly curly and is not dressed in the mid-century centre part style most commonly associated with the French hood.

For jewelry, she wears multiple short gold necklaces with reddish beads under her shirt and peeking through the opening, a larger "chunkier" necklace with some kind of greyish beads (crystal? silver filigree?), a ring set with a single stone on her left forefinger, and a belt with a pomander or tassel of some kind (incidentally, the belt is another indication that her kirtle has a waist seam).