o/arangian Papers 7: '\

G.A:M:BESON P.ATTERNS Introduction. The gambeson was a form of body armour consisting of quilted fabric filled with padding. The gambeson was used as a basic body armour for the lower classes of combatants while for ..the upper classes and the better equipped the gambeson was a secondary armour under shirts of mail, scale or lamellar [ whereas in the case of the 10th century Byzantine heavy cavalry the ep2'Jor2'k2'on was worn over the klibanion ( a short cuirass of Lamellar)].l The use of such armour is stated in a number of manuscripts such as Leo VI's Tacc2'ca, the anonymous SyJJoge Tacc1'corum and the Praecepca of Nikephoros Phokas (963-9). 2 The details of the patterns contained in this document are based largely on personal experience of using and making such padded armour. ,,'i:c -~ c ",

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FigJre 1, F~t nBn-at-anns fraIl right is ~ing a gant>eson, Maciej~y Bible (c, 1250) ';

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Figure 2. }k!n-at-anns ~ing garnOOsons, IoISfran the British Library, Royal loIS, ---

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.\; The pictures above both clearly illustrate a simple gambeson which was worn by men-at-arms. In the case of figure 1 the gambeson covers the hands and extends to about mid thigh with a short split in the middle of the front (which is also followed in the under tunic). The gambeson in figure 1 shows parallel dotted lines down the garment which would indicate parallel stitching for the purpose of quilting, and a collar which seems to be done up on the right hand side by two toggles, inferring that the front overlaps the back.3 Figure 2 is from a later manus~~::ws a combination of plate, I mail and quilted armour. The gambesons extend from the wrist to about. mid thigh, one of the gambesons is divided in two different colour on each side of the body.4 And according to a colour plate from the same manuscript the colours depicted could include; green, red, blue, purple and undyed. The stitching is clearly parallel down the body and along the arms.

Gambeson S~ecifications.

NVG -Melbourne Garrison, Armour Specifications;

1. A gambeson is recommended basic armour, sleeves can be wrist length but length may vary according to historical style and type of armour being worn, except that when worn by itself or only with mail it must be mid thigh length. 2. A gambeson must be padded to a minimum of 12 mm thick on the body and 6 mm on the arms in its uncompressed state and must be capable of being compressed.

Recommendations. Materials which can be used for padding; felt, blanket (various kinds), removalist's padding, and cotton waste. Padding can be quilted to fabrics such as cotton or silk, whatever your purse can afford, historically available materials preferred. The colour suggested for use for a guard gambeson is red but such colours as green, blue, brown and undyed can be used. For the coat, the front pieces overlap, with the right side of the gambeson overlapping the left by three inches and the opening is closed by three to four ties, with one tie closing the neck.

Depending on the thickness of the padding two layers of padding on the torso and neck and only one layer of padding on the arms will probably be needed to be used. The arms of the gambeson can either extend just to the elbow or to the wrist, the wrist length sleeves do provide more protection. The overall length of the gambeson is ~ recommendedallow at least to extend1/2 an inchdown tofor theseams. knees. When making up the pattern

Construction Procedure. -~ Quilting;

1) Pin padding and backing material together, the larger the sheet of quilting, the more cUmbersome it is but it also produces more quilted padding. 2) Mark out quilting lines on backing material either in parallel lines or in a crossed pattern with co loured dressmakers chalk about three inches apart. 5 2) Start sewing the padding to backing material from the centre lines .::Inn T'\ t"\I'T""O~~ +-t"\..T~ rl," +-h~ ~ ~- ,.:_~- 1..- ,.!--- ~ -, ~- Construction Procedure. I

3) Mark out the pieces of the gambeson on the quilted padding I The pieces should be cut with the lines going down the body with the quilting lines on the arms at right angles to those on the body section. 4) Cut the pieces out of the sheet and sew together, double stitch all seams.

Fasteners; 1) Add fasteners to the gambeson, this can be done in two ways which are: with fabric ties, possibly with the ties made from the external fabric of the gambesoni or by wooden toggles and material loops. )

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\ . PATTERN NUMBER 1 -SIMPLE 'T' TUNIC PATTERN

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Figure 3. Overall view. .II

PATTERN NUMBER 1 -SIMPLE 'T' TUNIC PATTERN

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Figure 4. Back & Front. Figure 5. Arm

.I a= shoulder to knee a= wrist

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.- '? PATTERN NUMBER 2 -COAT, FRONT OPENING I

l " Figure 6. Overall view. .

~~c" PATTERN NUMBER 2 -COAT, FRONT OPENING

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Figure 7. Left front Figure 8. Back. (reverse for right front) a= bottom edge of front (about a= shoulder to shoulder half of waist measurement, b= shoulder insert allowing for 3 inches overlap c= neckline -back b= shoulder insert d= neck to shoulder insert c= neck to shoulder insert e= shoulder insert to armpit d= shoulder insert to armpit g= bottom edge of back e= shoulder to top of knee f= shoulder to top of knee f= front neck line g= front neck & front overlap PATTERN NUMBER 2 -COAT, FRONT OPENING I I

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j ; - Figure 9. Arm 7-~--~ Figure 10. Neck

a= Wrist ( big enough for the a= collar height ( two and to get through to three inches) b= Wrist to shoulder b= collar length with c= Shoulder diameter three inches overlap

References.

J.F.Haldon, Some Apects of Byzantine Military Technology from the sixth to the tenth century, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Volume 1 (1975)

Robert Hardy, Longbow A Social and Military History, London 1976.

Richard Humble, Warfare in the Middle Ages, London 1989,

The Book of the Bible, McDonald & Co., London 1972.

Notes.

1 J.F.Haldon, Some Apects of Byzantine Military Technology from the sixth to the tenth century, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Volume 1 (1975), pages 34 -37.

-~~ J.F.Ha1don, Some Apects of Byzantine Military Technology from the sixth to the tenth century, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Volume 1 (1975>, pages 19, 34 & 36.

3 Richard Humble, Warfare in the Middle A~es, London 1989, -Maciejowsky Bible (c. 1250>, Perpoint Morgan Library, New York. -Page 95.

4 Robert Hardy, Lon~bow A Social and Militar~ Histor~. -an un-named MS in the British Museum. -pages 41, 48 & 109.