Mahault's A&S Journal

Playing with glue... next I'll run with scissors.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:01:08 GMT

Today I am experimenting with glues for flat gilding. I've read a lot online about it, but I learn better when I do things for myself.

Here's what I've learned so far...

Fish glue- very runny and tacky. Sets up in a minute or so and dries clear. Not ideal as the gold leaf will not survive the burnishing without tearing or shredding. Does not dry flat. Can I assume hide glues will do the same? Might have to try some- we have some rabbit somewhere.

Gum Arabic- sets up very quickly. Dries clear. Not a bad glue, but not ideal. Better for shell gold, I think.

White glue- next on the list.

Gum Tragacanth- looking for some around the house. Thinking it's not a good choice, but since we're playing, might as well add it to the list.

Glair- Pete just bought eggs, so I'm going to whip that up in a minute. Have used eggs in gesso for raised gilding, so I know it works. Also used to support pigments for painting. I'm going to expect this one to be the right choice.

Crazy Glue- you know I just have to. It's like using duct-tape to fix shoes, but there it is. I don't expect I'll do anything except glue my fingers to the table, though.

Anyone have any luck gilding on pewter? Just thinking about all those buttons we've been making lately...

Armour- Day 147

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:42:33 GMT

Finally got the jupon done. Well, except for the buttons, it's done. I was so frustrated with yesterday's, I pitched the whole damn thing into the fireplace and started over. See, burning stuff did make me feel better! New scissors helped.

This new jupon is a little less elaborate than the one I planned, but still looks ok. It has the angry squirrels, as promised.

Peter finished the gorget- he's put butterflies, ladybugs, leaves and flowers all over it. He wants to call it Nazgul. I think he might have missed the point of making armour. It's not supposed to be pretty. I'm very pleased that I'll have all metal and leather- the last gorget was plastic so I'm not sorry to see it go.

I'm going to take a pile of pictures tomorrow, in various stages of undress. We're just about done and I can't wait to put it all together!

Armour Day 5

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:14:14 GMT

Epic fail today. Work on the jupon today was a complete waste of time! I cut everything out, measured it, basted it and fit it with the armour on. I used this trial model to make a pattern for the heraldic coat and cut everything out for that. Then I sewed and serged the trial coat, only to discover that it is tremendously too small! It fits Teah. Damn.

Worst problem is that I had already cut out the pieces for the heraldic coat and have no more fabric. Or money. Or patience. I've decided on a radical change of design and spent the rest of the evening burning things to make myself feel better. The new design is kinda boring, with half of my heraldry missing, but it should still have giant, angry squirrels on it. If I don't screw that up too.

Berend got the breastplate finished and it looks great! The fit is better than I was expecting and I think it'll go good with the gorget I'm stealing from him. Snicker.

I need a break. At least there is an end in sight.

Armour- Day 4

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:13:55 GMT

Kinda stalled today by a project not related to the armour- I'll blog about it later.

Berend spent some time in the garage cutting and shaping the breastplate center piece. We're planning on doing a Cherbourg style breastplate, which has several articulated plates attached to one sheet of leather. I don't like the globos style that Berend wears, so I'm going for this one. The hardest piece to do is the center, as it is a complicated form to create. It bends both horizontally and vertically, which can be tricky without a large dishing stump.

He's working on the boots now. I expect to take over as soon as he gets tired or bored (any time soon!). They're based on a low boot from the 14th C and are pretty generic. They will have 3 buckles and a tongue. I'm going to get the buckles cast out of silver from a detector find I have, but that will have to wait until I get the time.

We discovered that I do not have a gorget. Not sure what happened, but it was plastic and needed replacing anyways. Not a big job and I'll get to learn how to roll steel and do the roping. Cool.

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:46:32 GMT

While I'm waiting for the oil to dry, I thought I'd do an update. No pictures, though. Feeling lazy today.

I spent the better part of this afternoon ripping apart my old arms and fixing them. I thought I'd get away with a bit of dye and some buckles, but turns out my arms sucked so bad they needed a re-do. I pulled the steel bands off the old ones and pitched everything else. I took some of the heavy leather we bought for the legs and using the old pattern, cut and shaped new vambraces. I added a tab to the top of them and riveted the elbow cops onto them, as well as the steel bands (after painting them black- they were hopelessly rusted). I added straps, instead of those bloody stupid laces I had before, and dyed everything black. Cutting, redying the rerbraces and adding them to the top of the cops was the final step. With the rerebraces in place, I don't seem to need a strap right on the elbow crease. Field testing will pass or fail this theory.

Berend tossed out a new set of articulated shoulders for me. They're longer than I planned but he rolled them so nicely that I couldn't complain! I've pointed them in two places and have added all the points to the arming jack. I use a variation of the "Beusoleil" method- the difference being instead of just sandwiching the fabric between two strips of leather and sewingthem on, I have added a cloth belt to the construction of the fabric to support them. This adds structure to the garment and works like an internal harness. It should add a significant amount to the lifespan of the jack and points.

Not sure what I'm going to do tonight- I'm waiting for the breastplate to be completed before I can fit the jupon. I might pad Adrielle's helm so it's ready to go. Just going to do a blue cell job, since it's not my helm. I don't see the need for a fancy fit if I'm only going to wear it a few times!

Armour- Day 2

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:25:29 GMT

Finished the legs today! The leather was cut yesterday and today we got it shaped, strapped and the knees attached. Berend dyed them black and I got them all oiled up.

Front view of the legs. The will be pointed onto the jack at the hips. We added the leather below the knee cops to keep them from tucking the greaves.

Back of the legs before I oiled them.

Underclothes, except for the tunic. I'm pretty happy with the fit and think it will work fine. I'm not pointing the legs until I get the shoulders finished. I can't see the point in not doing them all together.

The shoulders are started and I'm going to work on my gauntlets tomorrow. All I need to do is fix the thumbs and clean them up a little. The shoulders shouldn't take too long to do so I anticipate getting started on the breastplate tomorrow. Once that's done, or at least shaped, I can start working on my heraldic jupon. That's going to take the longest.

14th C Armour- Day 1

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:12:55 GMT

First thing I did today is make an inventory of the things I already have:

helm, borrowed from Adrielle
elbows and vambraces (need some work)
Bocksten tunic for fighting in
gorget

Things I need to make:

hose
braes
arming jack
jupon
shirt
boots
breastplate
padded coif
kidney belt
greaves
cuisses
shoulders

I'm sure there's plenty more things to do as we go and I want to have it done by Thursday, but Saturday will do.

I began sewing today with the hose. Berend really enjoys his, so I'm making a set for myself. I bought some melton wool on sale- 75% off, thank you very much. I chose melton because it's a very heavy wool and will take a lot of abuse. It will also keep the shape I need and hold the padding in place.

I draped the fabric and had Berend pin them for me to get a good fit. I used 3 layers of cotton quilt batting and 2 layers of wool for the padding. I finished the pad with a piece of linen for strength and to help with the itchy wool on my knees. I then sewed them up and finished them. Easy peasy so far.

The padding before it was sewn together.

The hose, front and back, before sewing them up the back seam.

Next on the list was the arming jack. I'm calling it that for lack of a better term, but it's basically a jacket that the armour ties to. I'm using the same setup as I did for Berend's as it seems to work pretty well. The jack includes a built in belt to support the points without tearing free.

I picked up some really nice linen at the orange bag store and used some of the leftover belt from Berend's jack. I used a basic cote design with larger arm scythes and a really tight fit. The belts are placed to support the points for the legs and the shoulders. I then sewed the jack together. I'm going to use white shoelaces for the ties and then it'll be done.

Back of the jack showing the strapping.

The side front of the jack. The legs will point from the horizontal belt and the shoulders from the vertical one. I am planning to have two points for the shoulders but it depends on how they go together.

Berend was able to fit, cut and strap the cuisses and greaves. The knees will go on tomorrow, we hope. I'm going to dye the leather black as well.

Not a bad first day.

Belt project

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:05:39 GMT

We got asked a little while ago to make a couple of belts for an upcoming Knighting. Berend is doing a fancy dress belt and I made a fighting one. I decided to make it very simple and easy to care for as the friend in question isn't the most handy when it comes to this sort of thing. Berend will be describing his on his LJ, bloggingberend.

I used a standard Tandy belt blank and cut it to 58 inches. I used the edger to clean up the sides and cut the end to a shield shape. I'm not adding a metal end for this one, as I think I want it very plain looking.

I decided on a motto suitable for his persona- 12th C English who has taken the Cross and is heading on Crusade. I won't post the motto yet, as I want it to be a suprise for him. I dug up the Latin version for it and wrote it in a formal Gothic hand. I then transfered it to the blank belt using pressure. Once it was all on the belt, I cut around the letters with an exacto knife to help with the tooling.

The void between the letters and the border of the belt was tooled using a small stamp and a small, very girly hammer Berend made for me. I've got a sore elbow and was having trouble with the usual mallet. Berend has asked me to post a picture of the hammers. Once I stamped the area, I outlined the letters with a small edging tool to add details.

The buckle is something of a cheat, as I bought it from Gaukler. Normally, I would cast a silver buckle using the lost wax method, but I had a different design in mind. The cost of silver has gone through the roof, which was also a deterrent. I wanted to have the buckle in a yellow metal for a change, which would have meant I needed to get something cast in brass or the like. Since our caster doesn't do brass regularly, I could have been waiting several months to get it done.

The buckle plate was made out of brass, cut into a shield shape to match the end of the leather belt. Both the buckle and plate were gold plated, to make them easier to maintain. Plus, gold plate is cool.

Tea in Mead, Revised

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:54:44 GMT

I wrote this article a year or so ago, but made significant changes. Having nowhere else to use this article, I thought I'd repost it here, should anyone be interested. It's behind the cut as it's quite long.

There is a great deal of debate on the uses of tea in mead. Black tea includes tannins and for some strange reason people have it in their heads it needs to be included in mead. I think that our lack or inclusion won us the brewing competitions we entered!

On the Making of Mead
Mahault van der Eych

"When the honey is squeezed out of the combs an agreeable strong drink, like wine, is produced." Aristotle

Over the last few years, I've been swapping mead recipes with a lot of people. One of the things I've run into is people's desire to add black tea to mead. When I enquired about this, I was told it was to increase the levels of tannins and that this was a period practice. Being of an inqusitive nature, I decided to do a little reading about tea, tannins and mead. I've come up with some thought on the matter and here they are:

Tea in Mead isn't Period

According to Tom Standage in his book "A History the World in 6 Glasses",(1) tea as a possible trade commodity in Western Europe is mentioned for the first time in the 1550's. It was not until 1610 that a Dutch ship brought a small commercial amount to Europe, where it was viewed as a novelty. The Dutch imported tea exclusively until about the 1650's. The first teas imported were green teas, (Camellia sinensis) bitter to the point of undrinkability. In the 1630's, tea in the Netherlands caused quite a sensation as a medicinal drink of the social elite and the very wealthy. Simon Pauli, a German doctor and physician to the king of Denmark published a tract in 1635 extolling tea's virtues, but expressing concern that tea's long journey might cause it to become poisonous. He also speaks to the price of imported tea "since a Pound of the former is sometimes sold at an Hundred Librae of Silver, which, if I am not mistaken amounts to forty Crowns.". (2) Using the calculations found online at www.measuringworth.com, I have estimated that this would have a modern value of almost $50,000.00 CAD at 2008 rates, not including all the taxes that the British Government would have applied to it. Hardly a purchase for the modest housewife!

Tea's medicinal reputation, along with it's price as a luxury item would indicate that it was not likely to be added to mead in our period. A lack of recipes from the period with the inclusion of tea would support this position. Mead was a country brew, like beer. Although my search was not exhaustive, I found no records of it being served to high society or used as a social drink. Most recipes seem to treat mead as a vehicle for herbal remedies; the sweet taste would help diguise some of the more pungent herbs.

Research into Bills of Lading and Manifests of ship's cargo for Britain, Spain and the Netherlands, leading trade countries in our period reveal no record of tea being carried as a trade cargo prior to the 1700's. The first record I discovered is from a Dutch Ship, carrying "Ordinaire Boei Thee", which is a low grade Chinese tea, considreed to have very little commercial value due to it's poor taste.

People just wouldn't have been able to afford to add tea to mead until fairly recently. Tea was also considered such a delicacy (3) that it would have been seen as strange in the least to add it to mead. You wouldn't add tap water to Dom Perignon, would you?

Tannins are somehow required to assist fermentation

What is tannic acid? Tannins are described as "water-soluble phenolic compounds having molecular weights between 500-3000...giving the usual phenolic reactions...having special properties such as the ability to precipitate alkaloids, gelatin and other proteins." (4) Tannins, in this discussion, are better defined as "gallotannins" and are routinely found in the plants sumac (Rhus Microphylla) and oak (Quercus Lepidobalanus and Leucobalanus).

Honey has a very high sugar level (80-85%) and would not require the addition of tannins to start or continue fermentation. According to Peter Bennell of the Central Toronto Wine Guild "Undiluted honey generally has T.A. between 2g/l and 3.5g/l (mostly gluconic acid with traces of citric) and pH in the range 3.0 to 4.0. Now we dilute the honey. T.A. gets diluted in proportion and pH stays the same. However honey has poor buffering properties. This means if we add a little acid the pH drops drastically and the must becomes unfriendly to the hungry yeasts". (5) So, adding tannins can and most likely will create a high acid environment that can be deadly to most types of yeasts. The arguement I have heard put forth is that the tannins will kill only wild yeasts and allow commercial yeasts to grow. I have been unable to substanciate this statement and suggest that this might be pseudo-science.

What I did discover is that tannin rich diets (above 5%) in mammals are generally lethal (6). The author of this particular paper, an undergrad in Animal Science at Cornell, goes on to discuss the effects on mammals: "Animals fed diets with a level of tannins under 5% experience
depressed growth rates,
low protein utilization,
damage to the mucosal lining of the digestive tract,
alteration in the excretion of certain cations, and
increased excretion of proteins and essential amino acids. " (7)

According to Professor Ann Hagerman of the Miami University, "A major family of proteins secreted by the salivary glands of some animals constitutes the best characterized of the defense mechanisms against dietary tannins. The parotid and submandibular salivary glands synthesize a group of proteins that are high in prolines, the so-called "PRP's"... PRP's collectively constitute about 70% of the proteins in human saliva...Recent evidence suggests that a primary role for these proteins may be protection against dietary tannins." (8)
We know that tannins are harmful to certain yeasts: in a study by Dr's Strumeyer and Malin (Dept of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University) they state that condensed tannins (the kind people are adding to mead via black tea) are the most potent antagonists to brewing yeasts and that studies had observed the virtual elimination of microbial growth when added to soils. The study reveals that there are very few yeasts (none used regularly for brewing) that can resist being denatured by condensed tannins. On the other hand, fungal spores were found to be very resistant to the effects of the tannins, finding the environment to be more satisfactory than without. (9)

This information leads me to conclude a few things:
Tannins are bad for mammals.
Tannins are bad for brewer's yeasts.
Tannins cause brewer's yeasts to die in favour of wild yeasts and fungal spores.
Tannins raise the pH levels beyond reasonable levels.

Mead tastes bland without tannins.

Well, if you boil the must it does. This is another pet peeve, by the way. It's not necessary to boil the must. Boil the water, boil the equipment, but stay away from the honey! Honey is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic, something known in the middle ages. Galen of Pergamon (129-200CE) refers to honey in his medical treatises, (10) as does Trotula. (11) There are modern accounts of honey found in Egyptian tombs still safe to eat.
According to Dr. Molan... "At the University of Waikato (New Zealand) we have investigated how much variation there is in the antibacterial activity of honey likely to be used medically. Commercial apiarists supplied 345 samples of honey from 26 different floral sources for the study. The samples of honey were tested against staphylococcus aureus, the most common wound-infecting species of bacteria. The activity of each sample was compared with that of a reference antiseptic, phenol (carbolic). It was found that the activity varied from a level that was the equivalent of 58% phenol to a level that was below the limit of detection (2% phenol). One third of the samples tested were of this low level of activity. The results of this research (recently published internationally in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology) show the importance of selecting the honey used for medical purposes. Although all honey will stop the growth of bacteria because of its high sugar content, when the sugars are diluted by body fluids this antibacterial action is lost. The additional antibacterial components (primarily hydrogen peroxide generated by the glucose oxidase enzyme in the honey) then become important. Considering that carbolic disinfectant is usually used with a phenol concentration of 4-5%, it is evident that selected honeys can remain antibacterial when extensively diluted by body fluids." (12).
Dr Molan also states "Although it is generally thought that honey is a sterile product, bacteria and spores are able to survive in the honey but it is unlikely that they will actually grow in it unless the water content is too high. One report has shown that disease causing bacteria introduced into honey samples were capable of surviving 1.5 months to 2.4 years at 214F.".(13) Thankfully, the end result of the fermentation process is alcohol, a great destroyer of bacteria! If you leave the tannins out and allow the yeast to work unimpeeded, you'll get a high enough level of alcohol to please even the fussiest germ-o-phobe. If you add tannins, evidence has been presented to support that the yeasts may die off prematurely, not allowing the yeast to ferment the mead to a high enough level to destroy most bacterias.
Mead was aged in oak casks, so the tannins are reproducing that.
Mead, like wine, was aged in whatever was at hand. In Classical times, wine was aged in clay jars. (14) It's fair to say that mead may have been aged in wooden casks, but it's not clear how this would have impacted on the flavour. According to a study by Cornell University, tannins do naturally occur in oak. (15) Very little record is kept about the average brewing time, so one cannot guess at the impact. Also, although we do have evidence to support that wine and beer was brewed/fermented in oak casks, we do not have the same evidence for mead. Given the difficulty in collecting large volumes of honey to ferment all at once, unlike beer or wine, one might assume that mead was made in smaller batches, which could have been fermented in ceramic containers. Given the lack of hard evidence, a complete statement may not be given either way.
In our period, honey was collected by hand according to the seasons. As maintaining a certain level of honey in the hive is necessary to the survival of the bees, a great deal of skill was required to collect honey. Local farmers might keep several hives and wandering bee-keepers were not uncommon. One of the most important skills was understanding how and when the honey could be harvested. The beekeeper would need to know when the local honey would flow and how long it would take the bees to produce the honey. He would also have to know how much honey he could safely take without damaging the hive. In most regions of Europe the nectar will flow twice (different plants) and honey could be harvested accordingly. Often, it was also safe to take a fall harvest if the hive had been particularly successfull.
One might argue that adding tannins to mead might reproduce the flavour of medieval meads. Firstly, we must make the assumption that mead was aged in oak casks, which has not been substantially proven. Other woods or non-porous materials may have been used in areas with competent potters or lacking coopers.
Ageing mead in an oak cask might have changed the flavour, but there is no was to tell how this might happen. There are no quantitative studies I have found that track the leaching rate of "oak flavouring" in meads from the Middle Ages, as no meads have survived from then.
If the cask is new, the mead might pick up a great deal of the flavour, but an older cask would not have the same effect. The flavour would also depend on the previous contents of the cask. If a wine, whiskey or other alcoholic beverage had been previously stored in it, the mead would draw from that flavour as well. Burning, cleaning or improperly storing the casks in damp conditions would also change the flavours.
I think that trying to mimic the conditions of medieval mead brewing is unrealistic. Because of the nature of mead brewing, very few period sources have been handed down to us. Sir Kenelm Digby's work is often relied on at the ultimate brewing guide, but he is by no means authoritative. Sir Digby was a dilletante, collecting recipes because it pleased him to do so. He was not a Guild Master or more reliable source and cannot be trusted as being factual.
There's tannins in grapes and other fruits.
Agreed, but now you're entering the area of pyments and cysers. If you're making red wine, you'd want to add tannins as they help prevent premature oxidization. You'd also want to add finings as part of the fermentation process to adjust the tannin levels and precipitate some of them out of the wine.
Thing is, we're making mead, not red wine.
In Conclusion
I gave this topic a lot of thought before beginning this essay. The idea of adding tannins to mead has been floating around discussion groups for a long time, but something didn't sit right with me. As a rule, I prefer not to add anything to my brews, with the belief that people in the Middle Ages simply didn't have the time, knowledge or inclination to include things that would have had no tangible result. Tannins, as we know and define them today were simply not recognized in our period- science had not developed to the point where identification of specific acids was possible. In context, mead appears to have been a simple country drink and would not have warranted the inclusion of such an expensive ingredient as tea. Most period sources indicate that tea was taken without adulteration for any sort to enjoy it's benefits. I suggest that if you rich enough in our period to afford tea, you weren't drinking mead.
As I have also discovered, tannins are not good for you. I agree that alcohol, by it's very nature isn't either, but why add something so toxic that your body has evolved specific proteins to negate it's effect.
I believe that the artifical additition of tannins, such as modern black tea, is unreasonable, not period appropriate and is supported by dubious, pseudo-science at best.

Footnotes
1) Standage, Tom A History of the World in 6 Glasses (Anchor Canada, 2006)
2) Pauli, Simon A Treatise on Tobacco, Tea, Coffee and Chocolate (T.Osbourne, London, 1635)
3) Pauli
4) http://www.users.muohio.edu/hagermae/tannin.pdf
5) Peter Bennell, Central Toronto Wine Guild (http://www.littlefatwino.com/bennellmead.html)
6) Cornell University Paper (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicageents/tannin/toxic_effects.html)
7) Cornell
8) Dr. Ann Hagerman, Dept of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Miami, (http://www.users.muohio.edu/hagermae/tannin.pdf)
9) Dr.'s Strumeyer and Malin, Dept of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1179303&pageindex=1)

10) Galen On Food and Diet Translated and Notes by Mark Grant (London, Routledge, 2000)

11) Whitney, Elspeth Medieval Science and Technology (Connecticut, Greenwood Press, 2004)

12) http://www.members.tripod.com/~Bee_Mann/honey1.html

13) ibid

14) Standage

15) Cornell Univ.

Appendix A- The success of Asian products in XVIth to XVIIIth century Europe, by Philippe Haudrere,, Professor, Univ.of Angers, Membre of Academie de Marine

"The development of tea consumption was parallel to that of coffee, but it was quicker with a craze that recalled the craze for cotton. Tea appeared in the British and Dutch cargo at the same time as coffee. From 1698, the Directors of the English East India Company decided to import it in big quantities and they took a lot of trouble to spread its use. 'Here the consumption of tea increases', they wrote to their employees in Asia. 'We have offered it to some of our best friends at the Court, and we wish to receive five or six of the best and fresh quality tea every year; that which gives a beautiful color to water in which it is brewed, especially green tea, is the most sought after'. In the continent, the Directors of the Dutch company did the same thing and they turned particularly to the medical corps. The famous Doctor Nicolas Tulip of Amsterdam, recommended drinking tea to feel well; in 1685, one of his colleagues published a Treaty of an excellent herb named tea and advised his patients to take fifty to two hundred cups of tea every day [sic], royal remedy against all the pains they could suffer from. The effect of this propaganda was decisive: at the end of the XVIIth century, it was still the beverage of the elite, for fortunate people who tasted it in delicate porcelain cups, with best quality cane sugar; in the beginning of the XVIIIth century it came to be widely used in all the strata of society in England and the United Provinces, and tea merchants were found in all the cities of these two countries.

Tea was produced only in China. How did the Europeans obtain it? In the beginning they received it in their trading posts in India, brought by ships of local navigation, then, from 1697, the English and the French sent ships directly from Europe to Canton, port of South China; the Dutch did the same thing a little later. There were big differences in the qualities of tea bought by the Europeans. The British loaded about 30 % of their green tea in their cargoes, and about 40 % of best quality black tea; more or less 30 % of the bouy, more ordinary quality, with low taste. With the Dutch, the French and other continentals, the cargoes were formed with 70 to 80 % of bouy. This was largely meant for the consumption of the British Isles where it arrived as smuggled goods, often after cutting with the local herb to reduce its price. According to contemporaries, the fraud amounted to twice the legal trade. The imported British teas were in fact crippled by heavy taxes, at least 40 %, which the tea merchants of the middle of the XVIIIth century, converged on Thomas Twinnings, were not able to get rid of or at least get reduced. One had to wait the year 1784 and the Commutation Act of Pitt – the second Pitt – for the duties to be restored to 12.5 %, straightaway bringing a quick growth in traffic: six million pounds in weight transported in 1784, sixteen million in 1785 and twenty million in 1786."

Appendix B- Definitions

Mead- alcoholic beverage fermented from honey and water; sometimes yeast is added to accelerate the fermentation. Strictly speaking, the term metheglin (from the Welsh meddyglyn, “physician,” for the drink’s reputed medicinal powers) refers only to spiced mead, made with the addition of spices and herbs such as cloves, ginger, rosemary, hyssop, and thyme; often, however, the terms are interchanged. Mead can be light or rich, sweet or dry, or even sparkling. In the Middle Ages it was usually similar to sparkling table wine. Mead is made in modern times as a sweet or dry wine of low alcoholic strength. (Brittanica Online)

Tea- Camellia sinensis is native to mainland South and Southeast Asia, but is today cultivated across the world, in tropical and subtropical regions. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to below two metres (six feet) when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white, 2.5–4 cm in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals.

The leaves are 4–15 cm long and 2–5 cm broad. Fresh leaves contain about 4% caffeine. The young, light green leaves are preferably harvested for tea production; they have short white hairs on the underside. Older leaves are deeper green. Different leaf ages produce differing tea qualities, since their chemical compositions are different. Usually, the tip (bud) and the first two to three leaves are harvested for processing. This hand picking is repeated every one to two weeks.

The three most common types of tea are green, oolong and black (others include yellow, white, compressed and flavoured teas). All use the same leaves of the same plant. Green tea is steamed (Japanese method) or roasted (Chinese method) very soon after picking to stop the oxidation process. Oolong tea is left to oxidize a bit longer and is the type used by most Chinese restaurants. Black tea is oxidized for the longest period of time which produces the darkest of the teas. White tea, a delicacy in the orient now beginning to be found in Western shops, is made from "tea needles," the newest, still folded shoots of leaves at the end of branches. Further distinctions are made to denote the size of the leaves used (the youngest, smallest leaves are generally held to have the highest quality flavor), and the region of origin (in much the same way wine is classified). (Wikipedia)

Tannins- are astringent, bitter plant polyphenols that either bind and precipitate or shrink proteins. The astringency from the tannins is what causes the dry and puckery feeling in the mouth following the consumption of red wine, strong tea, or an unripened fruit. The term tanning refers to the use of tannins in tanning animal hides into leather; however, the term is widely applied to any large polyphenolic compound containing sufficient hydroxyls and other suitable groups (such as carboxyls) to form strong complexes with proteins and other macromolecules. Tannins have molecular weights ranging from 500 to over 3,000. Tannins are incompatible with alkalis, gelatin, heavy metals, iron, lime water, metallic salts, strong oxidizing agents and zinc sulfate. (Wikipedia)

English Money ("Crowns")- The silver penny ("d" for Denarius) was the principal and often sole coin in circulation from the 8th century until 13th century. Although some fractions of the penny were struck (see farthing and halfpenny), it was more common to find pennies cut into halves and quarters to provide smaller change. Very few gold coins were struck, with the gold penny (worth 20 silver pence) a rare example. However, in 1279, the groat, worth 4d was introduced, with the half groat following in 1344. 1344 also saw the establishment of a gold coinage with the introduction (after the failed gold florin) of the noble worth 6/8, together with the half and quarter noble. Reforms in 1464 saw a reduction in value of the coinage in both silver and gold, with the noble renamed the ryal and worth 10/- and the angel introduced at the noble's old value of 6/8.

The reign of Henry VII saw the introduction of two important coins, the shilling (known as the testoon) in 1487 and the pound (known as the sovereign) in 1489. In 1526, several new denominations of gold coins were added, including the crown and half crown worth 5/- and 2/6. Henry VIII's reign (1509-1547) saw a high level of debasement which continued into the reign of Edward VI (1547-1553). However, this debasement was halted in 1552 and a new silver coinage was introduced, including coins for 1d, 2d, 3d, 4d and 6d, 1/-, 2/6 and 5/-. The reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) saw the addition of silver ¾d and 1½d coins, although these denominations did not last. Gold coins included the half crown, crown, angel, half sovereign and sovereign. Elizabeth's reign also saw the introduction of the horse-drawn screw press to produce the first "milled" coins. (Wikipedia)

New Outfit!

Wed, 21 May 2008 08:00:39 GMT

This one is based on the patterns Adrielle gave me, with some changes. I added a longer undertunic (pirahan) out of a patterned Indian cotton. I made matching salvar as I had loads left over.

The coat is a blue/gold brocade pattern, with a large, repeating desing. It looked pretty cool, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. It's certainly better than the red one- that was very modern. I lined it with a polyester (gasp) faux sari silk, with small flowers in a geometric pattern. It's actually the reverse of the fabric, but the front was dark purple and graded. The edges have a peacock pattern, which I placed along the center seam for interest. I used buttons and cord for closure so it's reversable, but I doubt I will wear it gold side out.

Berend made me the blue suede shoes (snicker) using the boot pattern. I got the impression looking at some of the illuminations from the period that most women wore low shoes inside. I even found a few where they are wearing a version of pattens with them. I whined and Berend made me some of those as well.

The hat is green wool that I felted, shaped and stiffened. I used a mixture of water and white glue to stiffen it. I found several websites that suggested hide or fish glue, but they all warned that they are not waterproof. I found one of Drea Leed's sites where she recommends using white glue. Her arguments convinced me to use this. It's a little unevenly stiff, but I'm not going to have the time to fix it right now. I added a piece of trim and pinned the veil on over top. I have found quite a few pictures of women wearing this type of hat from the 16th C. with the same type of coat and shoes I am wearing in the picture.

Codex Vindobonensis, c 1590, from Dar Anahita, a great website run by Anahita. She has lots of useful links and pictures.

Disco Stu 3

Wed, 21 May 2008 04:04:25 GMT

Disco Stu 1

Wed, 21 May 2008 04:02:25 GMT

Disco Stu 2

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:41:49 GMT

German Illumination- Disco Stu

Tue, 13 May 2008 03:32:27 GMT

I finished "Disco Stu" part two tonight. It's from the same book as the last one I did- 15th C. German, with bright colours and almost cartoonish people. It's a bit of a departure from the English ones I've been focusing on lately, but so pretty I couldn't resist.

For this one, I was aiming to improve my grasp of dimensionality and shading.

P sat down with me and showed me some tips that have sent me off in a totally new direction. Previously, I've been using my gouache more like a watercolour; trying to shade using washes instead of graded colours. This has failed miserably and left me with very flat designs. Mixing and layering the shades with a fairly dry brush was the ticket. It's interesting that most of the colours need to go from dark to light, except yellow, which is working better from light to dark. My pallette has never seen so many mixed colours!

The other thing I was working on is Medieval perspective. My modern mind is having a great deal of trouble adjusting to some of the odd perspectives and weird sense of balance! I've given up trying to adjust things so they are correct and simply using the angles that exist in the original painting. It looks like the drawing does, but I just can't get over the nagging sense of imbalance.

I'm planning on finding more in this style as I think Disco Stu needs to have some adventures!

I'll scan and post them both when I get the time.

Illumination- Disco Stu

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:06:01 GMT

I started a new illumination today! It's been a while. This one is based on a 15th C. German bible I found in my book "In the Beginning was the Word". I'm entranced by the bright colours in this one, plus it's terribly silly. The male figure featured in it has been nicknamed "Disco Stu".

P talked me into picking up some Permanent White gouache, so I'm playing with it. I usually use China White, but I get rather frustrated with it. The permanent stuff is nice so far, but I haven't used it much. I'm also struggling with the viridian and think I want to change it. It's a very nice shade of green, if I can get it to work, but that's rare. Normally, it's clumpy on the brush and it separates as soon as it hits the vellum. It also doesn't mix nicely. Time for a new tube.

Things I'm focusing on in this piece-

textures of cloth
drawing Disco Stu (working on proportion in human figures)
layering the gouache and getting the shading right
whitework (fine lines and dots)

P has made some suggestions for me to try and I can already see a difference! I'll scan and post when I'm done.

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:11:34 GMT

The coat is done! Finally. Not happy with the fit- I think the front gore might not have been necessary after all. I'll try it with the rest of the outfit and a belt this weekend and see. Losing that gore means a better fitting liner, without a fussy angle, but I'll see.

Things I learned:

Persian is not Turkish. Safavid is not Ottoman.
Veils need to be stiff so you can breathe trough them. Habotai silk is not a good choice.
Hats would be better- more my style.
Linings are easier than they look. Just sew two separate garments and put them together at the neck and sleeves.
Make the gore smaller on the salwar and they fit just fine. You don't need a really deep seat to get the right fit.
Boots make the outfit!

I'll be wearing it this weekend at Winter War. Come check it out- I'll have snacks!

Playing with metal bits again.

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:44:05 GMT

I'm supposed to be sewing trim, so I thought it might be more fun to go to the shop and tinker. Berend and I bought some cups a few years ago when we were in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. They're really cool; based on a 14th C. bowl in their harem collection, but they are sort of silvery looking. I really want to gold plate them, but we keep running into snags. I've cleaned off most of the silver metal (not really sure what it might be) with the polisher and am down to the copper. It looks pretty, but not for long!

I'm going to try finding some citric acid for a pickel, but we're having no luck so far. Not sure what to substitute for that. Tried hydrocloric acid on it, but suprisingly nothing happened! Nothing happened with the carbolic acid either (of course, it was only a little bit of Coke- should I boil this next time?). So, find a suitable pickel and then nickel plating tonight, if we can find the right stuff. Hopefully, that will work! If I can get a good nickel coating, then I can gold plate it.

I also think that the gold plating solution has issues. I think the piece we're using might be too big for the technique, or the solution is getting weak. Might try using a scrap piece of gold (doesn't everyone have a drawer or two just loaded with scrap gold?) to see if that works better.

Plan "B" is spray paint. Grumble.

Sekanjabin

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:36:23 GMT

In keeping with the current theme, I've whipped up a batch of sekanjabin for this weekend's event. I was inspired to try this last fall by Tempus and quite enjoyed it. I think it's more of a hot weather drink, but it's still tasty. I based my batch on a 13th C. Andalusian recipe, "Libre de Diversis Medicinus". I expect it was thought to be medicinal, but it seems like everything except furniture paste was as well. I am somewhat familiar with medieval cooking theory and expect this was considered warm and moist, but might have also tipped into the cool side of things, just to complicate the issue.

Either way, it's yummy.

Here's what I did:
4C white sugar (you could use honey for sweetness, but I'm being cheap!)
1C vinegar (I used white, but you could use pretty much anything. I think malt might not be great, but that's just me)
2 1/2 C water
handful fresh peppermint

Bring the water and sugar to a rolling boil. Add vinegar and lightly bruised mint. Hard boil for 20 minutes. Cool and bottle. This works really nicely at a 5-1 water to syrup mixture.

For fun, I did another batch and substituted pomegranate syrup (grenadine) for mint. It's fantastic! I'm going to play with some citrus flavours, but I'll save that for another day.

Palette musings

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:28:37 GMT

The boots are done! I won't go ito great detail here, as it's not my project, but they look great!. I fiished dyeing and oiling them last night. Can't wait to wear them. They are navy blue, with red trim and a yellow lotus on the back. Puce green laces. Brown soles. Trying to figure out how to add more colour. Snicker.

Speaking of colour, I'm in the process of sewing the trim onto my purple coat. I picked up some truly awful trim at Fabricland- pink, yellow, orange and two shades of green. I'm sewing it onto a satin pink ribbon and then adding it to the front of the coat, with hot pink frogs.

I know people think my colour choices are more than a little odd (yeah, G!) but think about things from a medieval perspective. Try losing some of the Victorian conditioning and look at how vibrant the textiles from the period still are! Silk, for example, can hold a fantastic dye, with hot pinks, lime greens and lemon yellow popping out from everywhere. I've seen some of the colours HE Gaerwen can get on linen with natural dyes and have seen the pigment lists for paint from period sources. I simply won't believe that our ancestors settled for wandering around in browns and greys, because they were afraid of bright shades. I'm not going to either.

So there.

Persian Garb

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:51:11 GMT

Berend is just about finished my boots! I found the illumination that they're based on, but I don't have a link for you. If you have Tashen's Masterpieces of Illumination, it's in there, page 422. The book is "Jami: Haft Awrang- The Seven Thrones" and is Persian from about 1560. The colours are different (mine are blue with red highlights), but the shape is very similar. I know the heels are supposed to be high, but as I won't be riding in them and Berend has a lot to learn about footwear, I'll go with what I've got.

I'm still working on the purple coat. I've lined it in blue silk with pink trim and have to put the closures on the front. I bought some truly heinous trim today and have to mod it a bit before I can use it.

I've been researching hats and headwear. I enjoy wearing veils, so I'm experimenting with some of the styles in the illuminations I've been looking at. There's a specific look in a lot of the Persian ones, with what looks like a circlet with a small point in front. I've seen it with a feather stuck in it, which is fun, but silly. I tried a peacock feather, but it's a little too big for my taste. I found an odd style with the veils- they look really high and pushed back. Thing is, if you have a face-veil attached to the circlet and throw it over your head, it looks like the paintings.

Here's what I did: I took a thin strip of brass, cut it to shape and covered it with black silk on the front and blue on the back. I stitched them together and added a ribbon to the back to close it. Then I grabbed some habotai silk and made a semi-circle out of it. I tacked this to the front of the circlet so it won't slide around on my head. Habotai is brutal for moving about! I then took another piece of habotai, dyed it green and cut it into a rectangle, for the face piece. That got tacked to the circlet, so it will cover my face.

I think that habotai silk was not the best choice for this project. It's lovely for veils, but it's so tightly woven, you can't breath through it. It looks cool, but as soon as I put the veil over my face, I suffocate (which is bad) and the veil moves with my breathing (which is dorky). Perhaps linen or a different weave of silk.

I'm going to take a trek into Chinatown next week and see if I can find one of their "Mongol" style hats. They are the nifty ones with the round brim and point at the top. Many of the women pictured were wearing hats, particularly with the boots I have. I know that veiling was not required during the Safavid era, which is the one I'm looking at, so wearing a hat would be just fine. I'm being lazy by buying one, but I'm a bit swamped with work right now, so picking one up to tinker with is about all I'm good for right now.

I'll post pictures of the outfit when I have the closures attached.

Ottoman Coat

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:10:08 GMT

Here's a picture of the outfit so far. Ignore the silly hat!

Persian Purple Coat

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 03:33:33 GMT

Started on my next coat today. This one is a little less fitted, so I guess it would be fairer to refer to this one as Persian. The top layer is purple wool and the inside is blue and pink silk. Yes, pink. I picked up 3 yards in Little India, for cheap. I thought I had enough to line the entire thing with the silk, with the pink trim on the bottom hem, but I didn't. I ended up using the trim along the front edge and adding a panel of darker blue dupioni on the back piece. I really dislike that silk- it's not a very good medieval fabric at all. From what I've read, it was (and is still) considered too slubby and cheap-looking. The nicer, more pricey silks are really smooth and slick looking, but most people would rather use the cheap stuff over none at all.

I improvised on the pattern a fair bit and got a little lost in parts. I did a rectangle for the back and front (with the opening down the front). It has two side pieces, like gores, that create the arm scythe. I added square gores at the base of the sleeves, which are cut to the elbow. I'll post some pictures and drawings when I get to it.

Thankfully, Adrielle was over to drag me out of my confusion. She explained how to make the lining work and nagged about ironing!

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Coat

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:32:49 GMT

I've finished sewing the closures on the coat. I used gold trim, in a double line and covered the ends with black frogs. From what I can tell, this isn't quite right, as the frogs and trim should probably all be the same material. I was hoping to find more colourful frogs, but all I could find were black or pink.

I'm seeing the shape a little better, too. Some of the patterns I looked at online bear a striking resemblance to the Herjolfnes finds, which is interesting. I think I might go for a revised version of those for Peter and see what lines I get. I'm seeing the links between a lot of "Norse' clothing and the Middle Eastern- the Birka Coat springs to mind as do several Rus examples. It's neat to see how clothing styles traveled!

Ottoman Coat

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:07:59 GMT

I started sewing the coat tonight. I'm not happy with it and I think that it might be the fabric. I used the burgundy fabric I used for Teah's dress and I knew it wasn't going to be the best choice. It's bulky and doesn't drape the way I would like it to. This was meant mostly as a prototype, which is fine, so I guess I've learned a bunch. I found some purple wool that I might remake this in.

I cut the sleeves so they fit to the elbow and lined the whole thing in red taffeta with blue dots. The closures will be in black, with gold and black trim. I'll hand sew that at work and then I'll post some pictures. I hope that I can alleviate some of the bulk in the seams by sewing them either to themselves or flat, depending on the location. I think I might have to fiddle with the sleeves too.

Main thing I've learned (which I already knew, really) is fabric choice. This coat needs to swirl and drape, but the fabric is much too stiff for that. Washing the fabric won't help- it's polyester and what you see is what you get. I might try playing with biases next time too, just to see if that makes a difference at the hem.

I think I might use the belt I made for the Manchurian coat to close this. The Ottoman style uses a thinner belt, but I think I might enjoy having a thicker belt with this coat.

Illumination How-To

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:34:24 GMT

Illuminations- Step by Step

Lady Mahault van der Eych

Everyone has their own methods of making illuminations; some people prefer to trace the original, work with their imagination or grind their own pigments. Each method is valid and has it's own merits, but this is how I do it.

Paper

· Paper should be at least 140lb Hot Press watercolour paper. Check the surface and make sure it is smooth and clean looking before you buy.

· Types to avoid are: cold press, drafting vellum, bristol board and newsprint. Also, most stationary parchment is not suitable.

· It is important to make good paper choices, as the quality of the paper will impact directly on the quality of the work. You cannot get decently small lines with poor paper, nor will the inks adhere and blend properly.

Ink Colours

· Red, Blue, Green, Orange, White, Black, Yellow, Brown, Pink to start.

· Red: crimson or primary red

· Blue: ultramarine or cobalt

· Green: viridian or emerald

· Orange: pumpkin

· White: china white, titanium or zinc

· Black: lamp black or india ink

· Yellow: primary or canary

· Brown: umber or ochre

· Pink: salmon or rose

· Colours in period were usually ground pigment or stone, so it's nice to try to imitate that. Good colours are expensive but if you're careful, they'll last a long time.

· Windsor and Newton have been mixing their gouaches with the same recipies since the 1700's. You can find them at most art stores. Make sure you buy gouache and not watercolour paints, as they are very different.

· Try to avoid acrylic inks, they just don't do the things gouache does.

· Keep in mind that many colours are poisonous so handle with care. Don't lick your brushes or handle the colours. Store upright in a cool, dry place and make sure the lid is on tight.

Metals

· In period gold was used either as leaf or in a suspension.

· Try to find 23k gold leaf in small seperated sheets. Don't use faux gold, as it is too thick and will tarnish.

· Windsor and Newton Gold ink is a very nice, useable colour. Mimics what we see in period, but it isn't real gold, so it's cheaper! Make sure to shake it often as it settles really quickly.

Brushes

· You will need a couple of good quality brushes, the smaller the better.

· Make sure when buying brushes that you check them and make sure the hairs are not bent, broken or uneven. Never buy a brush that isn't perfect or has been recapped by some klutz (like me).

· Natural sable is better and will last a very long time if you take care of them.

· Never trim or pluck hairs from the brush. You'll need every one to ensure a decent draw from the brush. More is better, since you'll only be using the very tip to paint anyways.

· Don't use your brushes to mix paint.

· Never leave your brushes standing in water. It will destroy the tip!

· Don't let them rattle loose in a holder or bang the tip on anything.

· Don't let the paint get into the glue at the top of the brush.

· Never lick your brushes.

Pens

· You'll need something to do your fine lines with so look in a reputable art store for ultra-fine technical pens (try the draughting section) or a crow quill pen and nib.

· Keep your pens clean and discard as soon as the tips become soft, broken or loose.

Supplies

You will also need:

· a gum eraser

· mechanical pencil

· ruler

· exacto knife

· pencil holder

· folder or portfolio

· pallette

· mixing sticks

Sources

· Always work from an exemplar. That's what they did in period. Once you are familiar with styles, colour placement etc, you can start moving things around. Until then, do it exactly as the did in the picture. Each school, monastary, scriptorum and artist had a different and distinct style and colour theory. Taking a bit from here and a piece from there will just look odd.

· No clip art! Ok, it's easy to grab the Celtic Clip art books and whip something off, right? Wrong! Celtic art (Insular etc) is stunning, complex and wonderful, but looks nothing like the computer generated clip art that pops up everywhere. Try the Book of Kells or Lindisfarne Gospels for Celtic art.

· There are many wonderful books available, but use caution. Does it show the entire page or just the shiny bits? Does it accurately portray colour and scale? Is there supporting documentation?

· There are thousands of scanned pages available on the internet, from libraries, monasteries and antiquities dealers. Use the same standards as for books.

How I Do It

1) Pick your illumination from your source. Decide on scale for the page. Keep in mind that someone is going to want to frame this and try to keep within standard frame sizes.

2) Leaving a margin of at least one inch from the edge of the paper, pencil in a box to denote your outer edges. Sketch your design within this box, making corrections until you are satisfied. Make sure the signatures and seal will fit.

3) Trace over the pencil lines with black ink and allow to dry. Erase all your pencil marks. Pencil will show through some inks, so be diligent with your marks.

4) Add gold leaf or ink.

5) Colour in using your exemplar.

6) Layer on your white work.

7) Re-ink your black lines carefully.

Tips

· Change your water every time you change colours to prevent discolouration.

· Don't overload your brushes.

· Keep your hands and work area clean to prevent dirty work.

· Make sure your lighting is good and take lots of breaks.

· Think small. No, smaller than that, even.

· Don't bang your brushes and pens by carrying them in a pencil box. Try a brush roll.

· It's ok to thin and mix colours. Leave them in the pallette to dry and then re-wet them (gently) to use again.

· If you store gouache wet (in a container as opposed to dry or in the tube) it will discolour and grow mould or other fun and interesting things. Makes a great science experiment.

· Try grinding your own pigments (carefully) and using natural vellum. It's very different.

· Natural pigments glitter. Try experimenting with your colours to get a subtle glitter by adding things like gold dust, crushed pigment or mica.