15thCMansPurse, Artykuły
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A Wealthy Man’s Pouch/Purse
from the War of the Roses Era
A Wealthy Man’s Pouch/Purse from the War of the Roses by James de Biblesworth M.K.A. James Barker
by Lord James de Biblesworth M.K.A. James Barker
The Purse
My Reconstruction
The reconstruction is made of gold silk damask. It is 100% silk, with a plain dark red silk lining (known
as Sarcenet in the fifeenth century). The pouch is designed in a common shape for the mid to late
fifteenth century, it has pearls and silk thread tassels, and it has a brass purse bar with lid molded off an
extant purse bar from the mid-fifteenth century. This purse is completely hand-sewn with silk thread.
The silk tassels on the purse are also hand made with silk thread.
Historical Basis
There are numerous purses and pouches in historical
paintings from the fifteenth century. Many members of the
upper class, represented in these works of art, are wearing
some form of purse/pouch made of a fine material, they
appear to be silk velvet or silk damask. Methods of
decorating these pouches include embroidery, beading,
adding jewels, and tassels.
For my reconstruction, I chose to recreate a purse with a
silk damask outer shell and a silk lining. Several painting
show what looks like silk damask pouches including
“Portrait of Guillaume Jouvenel des Ursins” by Jean
Fouquet, “Bladelin Triptych” by Van der Weyden, and
“Annunciation” by Antoniazzo Romano.
The Paston’s were a well off family in the fifteenth century. They started in the
defined social class
“Substantial Squire”
estate I have listed below, the father
being a lawyer and the mother a wool merchant, and moved into the the
“Knights Estate”
during the War of the roses. John Paston Sr. turned down
knighthood not wanting the extra responsablity and taxes but his sons do
become knights. In letters written between members of this family, The Paston
Letters, there are two references to expensive silk pouches. In a 1462 inventory
there is listed a pouch of blue velvet with pearls and in an inventory from 1473
there is a pouch of russet (red brown) colored silk damask listed.
•
A powche of blew velwet wyth pearlis therin ensealid. (
•
A powche of rosset damaske (Inventory, not long after 1473)
The shape I chose was a common shape among the paintings of
wealthy men from the era, “Portrait of a Young Man”, “Effigy of
William Browne”, and “Annunciation by
Antoniazzo Romano all share a similar
shape to my reconstruction. There is a
top/lid on my pouch based on the
fifteenth century purse bar I purchased
and also based on paintings like
“Annunciation”, “the Effigy of William
Browne”, and “The Malachi Prophesizes”
from the Bible historiale by Guiard des
Moulins.
Adding silk tassels is based on
from the Boccaccio’s de
Mulierbus Claris. You can also see a clear image of the shape of tassels in the Portrait of Guillaume
Jouvenel on the pillow in front of him and Altarpiece of the Patron Saints of Cologne by Stefan Lochner. The
A Wealthy Man’s Pouch/Purse from the War of the Roses by James de Biblesworth M.K.A. James Barker
pearls are based on the jewelry and beads on the pouches in the Portrait of a Young Man
,
the
Bladelin
Triptych (right wing) by Van der Weyden, the St Columba Altarpiece (central panel) by Van der Weyden,
de Hainaut, and the Altarpiece of the Patron Saints of Cologne.
Why is this a Luxuary Item?
First lets talk about fifteenth century English currency; it was 1£ (pound) = 20s (shilling) = 240d (pence).
Damask silk was an expensive fabric in the fifteenth century; a yard of it cost a quarter of a year’s salary
for the lowest laboring class. Below are two sections with the cost of fabric and the salary ranges for
people of the 15
th
century earned.
I used about a yard of silk damask (12s), due to the pattern matching, and half a yard of plain silk (2s)
for this purse. Also it has pearls and silk tassels. I would estimate that the cost of materials and about a
day or labor at 4d for a skilled tradesman would bring the cost of a pouch like this at 1£ to 1£ 10s not
knowing the cost of pearls or silk tassels.
To put this in perspective against items of war in a time of civil unrest in England a sword, dagger, or
lance costs 1£. A helmet ran 3£ to 4£. A jack (layered linen body armor) cost 3£ to 6£. A brigandine
(body armor in leather of velvet) cost 11£ to 14£. A full suit of armor ran 40£ and a good war horse 100£
and a normal riding horse 50£. Swords and daggers were so costly to the common archer that many did
not own one when they mustered according to the muster rolls at the time. Archers were often levied
from local towns and were common farmers and laborers, yeomen archers were in service to a lord and
would be issues a sword, jack or brigandine, and a sallet helmet.
Cost of Fabrics in the Fifteenth Cenuty
A Wealthy Man’s Pouch/Purse from the War of the Roses by James de Biblesworth M.K.A. James Barker
Medieval measurements did not always match up with with our modern measurments: 1 yard = 36 in =
91.5 cm. 1 Flemish ell = 27in = 68.5 cm. 1 English ell = 45 in = 114 cm.
There are so many types of wools I am only going to name a few basic styles to give a core sample of
costs to compare against the cost of linen and silk.
Linen
Cavas: 27” wide, cost 3d-4d per English ell. Coarse heavy flax or hemp cloth.
Buckram: 27” wide, cost 5d-6d per English ell. Stiff fabric commonly used to line clothing and
doublets.
Linen: 27” wide, cost 4+d per English ell. Standard linen cloth.
Linen: 27” wide, cost 7d-12d per English ell. The finest plain linen.
Paris and Diaper: 27” wide, cost 1s-2s per English ell. A fine patterened linen demask
Wool
Freise: 36” wide, cost 6d to 10d per yard. Welsh twill wool with a course feel. Often used in the
making of cheap clothing or linings.
Broadcloth: 63” to 72” wide, cost 1s 4d to 4s per yard. Standard English tabby wool, heavely
felted. Normally dyed after it was woven. Quality varyed.
Keresy: 45” wide, cost 6d to 2s per yard. A heavy weight medium quality twill weave wool from
England.
Worsted: 36” wide, cost 1s to 2s per yard. Worsted is a term for a twill with with no nap. Quality
varyed. The Paston letters have a request for fine worsted wool in a light weight for doublets.
Silk
Sarcenet: 18” wide, cost 2s-5s per yard. A plain light weight cloth, commonly used for linings.
Satin: 18” wide, cost 6s-7s per yard. A weave the produceses a shimmering surface. Often
listed to as used for a mid level upper class garment.
Damask: 18” wide, cost 7s-12s per yard. A richly patterened silk fabric.
Velvet: 18” wide, cost 10+s per yard.
Social Classes and Their Wages in the Fifteenth Century
Here is a break down of some social classes of the fifteenth century and the yearly average income. It
really shows the level of people who could afford luxury items at this time.
Laborers
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Many peasants had only a little to no land.
•
Also Monks , etc, from houses worth less than 40 pounds.
•
Other clerks without advancement.
Income ranged from £1 10s. to £3 anually.
Husbandmen
A Wealthy Man’s Pouch/Purse from the War of the Roses by James de Biblesworth M.K.A. James Barker
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A holding of 30-15 acres of arable land
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A groom in household service would live about as well; perhaps receiving somewhat finer
clothes than the husbandman in a livery and maintenance contract with a lord
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The poorest landed lesser merchants or artificers
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Pleaders
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Monks and canons from lesser houses
Income ranged from £3 to £5 annually.
Yeoman’s Estate
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A yeoman farmer would hold perhaps 100 acres or more
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A skilled craftsman like an ordinary master carpenter
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The middle rank of household servants were ranked as yeomen or valets
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Middling to poor innkeepers
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Married pardoners or summoners
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Farmers of manor or parsonage
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Wholesalers dealing in stock and other lesser trade
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Landed lesser merchants or artificers
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All other beneficed curates, and parish and annual chaplains
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Monks and canons from middling houses
Income: £5-<£10
Landless Squire
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Landless Squire in Service or Arms Poorer franklins or sergeants of the country
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Richest innkeepers and married pardoners or summoners
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2nd rank of farmers of manor or parsonage
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Wholesalers dealing in stock and other lesser trade
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Lesser landed merchants or artificers
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Clerics with appropriate income
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Monks and canons from the wealthiest houses
Income: £10-<£20
Substantial Squire
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Squire of lesser estate, or widow of one
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Other sufficient merchant, or widow of one
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Apprentices of law and attorneys of lesser estate
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Middling or poor mayors of small towns
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Richer franklins or sergeants of the country
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Richest farmers of manor or parsonage
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Wholesalers dealing in stock and other lesser trade
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Lesser landed merchants or artificers.
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Cleric with appropriate income
Income £20 to £66 13s. 3d
Knight’s Estate
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Knight bachelor, or a widow of
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Squire that ought to be knight, or a widow of
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CommanderofHospitallers
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Middling apprentice of law or attorney
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Rich mayor of small town
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Municipal officer of large town
A Wealthy Man’s Pouch/Purse from the War of the Roses by James de Biblesworth M.K.A. James Barker
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