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Vol. II , Issue I |
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Costume of the Month
The Green Man The foliate head motif, now commonly referred to as the "Green Man," was seen in decoration, usually as carving or sculpture, from the 4th through the 18th centuries. The meaning of the decoration is ambiguous, but has been associated with Dionysus - the god of fertility and wine, Jack-of-the-Green and the theme of regeneration or rebirth. Elaborate leaf-like details catch the eye and make one wonder what mystery lie beneath the screen of greenery.
So, what does it feels like to be The Green Man?
The garments worn here are modeled after late 15th century Spanish theatre or spectacle costume.
Doublet (jubon) of saffron yellow jacquard (in a pattern resembling a Renaissance brocade) lined with red corduroy is worn over a simple Shirt (camisa), the universal undergarment.
The Purse (bolsa) with Tassels (borlas) is decorated with a heraldic device executed in the Opus Anglicanum style (couched goldwork and applied pearls and beads, with device in split stitch with backstitch outlining, meticulously detailed by Barbara Meyer).
REFERENCES Anderson, Ruth Matilda. Hispanic costume, 1480-1530. New York, NY: Hispanic Society of America, 1979. Anderson, William, and Clive Hicks. Green man. San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, 1960. Basford, Kathleen, the green man. Cambridge (England): D. S. Brewer, 1998. Birbari, Elizabeth. Dress in Italian painting, 1460-1500. London (England): John Murray, 1975. Herald, Jacqueline, Renaissance dress in Italy, 1400-1500. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, 1981. Laver, James. Costume in the theatre. London (England): George Harrap & Co., 1964. Newton, Stella Mary. Renaissance theatre costume. London (England): Rapp & Whiting, 1975. Schuette, Marie, and Sigrid Muller-Christensen. A pictorial history of embroidery. New York, NY: Frederick A. Praeger, 1964.
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Peter B. Worden likes details. Actually that's a substantial understatement. The concept, design and patterning of his costume, The Green Man, definitely reflects his zeal for details. Pete was intrigued by masks and sculptures of The Green Man he had found in books. "First off, I like plants. I thought the whole concept of having man and plant combined as a universal symbol of nature and regeneration was fascinating and saw this as a perfect opportunity to create a Renaissance Theatre costume. This seemed unique." He spent several months designing and constructing the costume with help from his wife.
Pete commissioned the Mask to leather craftsman Ronald James of Rockin' J Leather, Tucson, AZ. The custom mask was made in leather and was designed after similar masks of the 15th and 16th centuries which were worn for theatre presentations or for spectacles presented either at court or publicly. The model for this particular mask is a 13th century sculptured capital at Auxerre Cathedral (France).
Parti-colored Long Hose (calzas enteras) and a decorated Codpiece (bragueta) cover the lower body.
The fanciful Parti-colored Jerkin (sayo), with layered leaf dagging (in the "Green Man" theme) and sleeves al ducale, was modeled after drawings (c 1452?) by Marco Zoppo and (c 1440) by Pisanello, but modified to fit the later 15th century style. The dagging took two weeks to complete. Each leaf had to be cut, sewn and turned individually. Outer fabrics are deep-pile velvet and jacquard (again in a Renaissance-style pattern) with silk lining.
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