The images here are cropped to view only the individuals in the paintings, manuscripts, stained glass etc. and are categorised as best as possible to sort by clothing and accessory types. I’ve used fairly standardised spelling for these due to the wide spelling variations even within single documents.

All images in chronological order: https://www.thefrockchick.com/northrhine/nrw-images/

By date:

1400-1449, 1450-1499, 1500-1549, 1550-1599, 1600-1650

Guide to terminology used:

Materials:

• Perlen: Pearls, usually pearl embroidery though rarely described as such. In the context of the clothing and accessories of the North Rhine these are pearls as opposed to beads in general. Aside from banners this was a free trade.
• Gulden: golden. Goldspinning was a source of incredible wealth for women of Cologne protected as a guild. Goods made from these yarns were used locally and exported alike.
• Fluwelen: velvet. There is a heavier form used for shoes called trippe.
• Damast: damask.
• Lynen: linen, when items are only made from linen they rarely denoted as such. When there are items made from other materials then the linen form is described as weissen- white.
• Gestrickt: used to describe the method for mens flat caps that are knitted. Also to describe some forms of narrow goods in gold- it’s unclear if this is meant to mean knitting or some other technique.

Gepend (Headwear):

• Benet: flat cap, sometimes written as bonit, boneth. Generally this is worn by nobility such as Anne of Cleves and Countess Emeza.
• Mutzger: most common term for headwear in archives. When made of linen these are called weissen, though possibly also called a hulle. There are two distinct forms. Most linen types include a support that frames the crown then sweeps into curves over the ears, and occasionally some made from precious materials follow this form. Most of the types made from precious materials end in a point just barely covering the ears.
• Latzen: the decorative strip around the front of the most common form of mutger made of precious materials. These are most commonly made of velvet and embroidered in pearls, or made from gold material and covered in jewels.
• Vurstickel: undefined in records which usually denotes made from linen, thus potentially the name of the strip of of linen framing the face.
• Wile: veil.

Gowns:

• Fueyke: frequently as red in archives and in the Weinsberg chronicle.
• Tabbart: the outer gown most frequently depicted in art.
• Stuiken: appears to mean the full open sleeves in the majority of portraits, they are sometimes held in place with pins or buttons- visible in the de Bruyn trachtenbuch.

Accessories

• Mauwen: sleeves. these are separate and worn under the gown.
• Borstlappe: This is the decorative piece that correlates to the Brustfleck as per Texliler Husrat that fills the lower part of the neckline of the gown. The velvet types are mostly bordered with narrow gold strips. Also called Schiltgin.
• Kleyr: The equivalent of a partlet, of two kinds. Weissen kleyr are made from linen and are worn under the gown. Other kleyr are made from wool or velvet or sometimes a figured silk.
• Krausen: ruffs. These change shape in keeping with other places across Europe.
• Gurtel: the dominant accessory. When made from narrow woven gold they are called Webbe. Pearled velvet is also very common. There are a few examples that are probably gestrickt based on their appearance. Very precious examples are made from gold chains or from silver and gold links with a large rondel at the front of the waist.

Schmuck:

• Amstkette: heavy chains of office for different orders.
• Anhanger: pendent. These are mostly worn as pendants from the neck, but can also be worn on the side of muzger. This is rare, and associated with nobility such as Anne of Cleves.
• Armbander: bracelets.
• Bentgin: usually close fitting form of necklace made from segmented plaques.
• Fingerringe: there is a very common form made from spirals of gold (spulen.)
• Kette: necklaces made from links- these are usually quite long and often made from flat ribbon like links also seen across Germany.
• Rozenkranz: these are usually made from very large beads with even larger gold spacers.

Mantelen:

• Fale: probably the unshaped form draped over the head in the late 15thC and very early 16thC.
• Heuyke: a cloak with a heavy collar that’s worn over the head. These are of the same family as worn in the Netherlands though the collar is large and forms a square frame as wide as the shoulders. This form is illustrated well in trachtenbucher by artists at least familiar with the region, poorly though recognisable in the rest.
• Mantel: poorly described and seems to shift meaning across the 100 years of records. Probably describes a form worn over the shoulders, might mean the sleeveless garment worn in the last quarter of the 16thC.

Status:

• Mädchen: Young women who are unmarried and under the age of 21. Identified with braids of hair looped in front of their ears. Otherwise usually dressed as adults.
• Kind: young girls who also have their hair in loops around their ears, occasionally with loose hair. Under a certain age their clothing is different to adults- sleeves are usually short or tube shaped with their arms through slits across the upper arm.
• de Adel: nobility. The majority of dress of in art depicts women of the middle class and so there are upper limits in terms of the right to wear portable wealth. The nobility ore more frequently depicted in stained glass and their gown in particular tend to be made of vibrant silks and cloth woven with gold.

Symbol:

There are repeated use of symbols held in the hand or displayed in front of portraits. Some of these symbols are found across Europe.

• Becher: metal cups probably intended to call to mind the story of the Magdalene.
• Bittersüßer: bittersweet. Probably a symbol of fidelity.
• Buch: books. Probably a double meaning of education and social status.
• Handschuhe: gloves. Potentially another symbol denoting social status but also loyalty.
• Nelke: carnation/pink. Often used to denote bethrothal.
• Rosmarin: rosemary. Another symbol that denotes betrothal and is often depicted with pinks.
• Schädel: skull. A memento mori.
• Stiefmütterchen: viola or heartsease. Another symbol associated with love, constansy.

Home » North Rhine Westphalia » Timeline of North Rhine Images