Doublet-matching codpiece, circa 1400?
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 6:20 pm
I recently ran across this image on Pinterest and chased it to its source: the so-called Tarot of Charles VI (1368-1422), from an exhibit at the BNF. Their website dates this deck to the "end of the 15th century," an assessment with which I heartily disagree- the artistic style and fashion of the clothes place it around 1390-1420. (And who ever said the French could date anything accurately? Witness the brigandine associated with the Dauphin's armor in Chartres. But I digress…)
Anyhoo, to the point- this guy appears to have joined hose with a codpiece made of the same material as his doublet. It COULD be the plain white linen of his braies, but A) the chevron-shape suggests the same pattern as the doublet fabric, and B) the doublet itself is so short that I doubt it would be worn with old-fashioned split hose. The matching fabric does make the doublet look as though it's made with a "crotch strap" like a leotard, though my gut tells me this would be less comfortable to wear than a conventional pair of hosen with the codpiece built in (and I've never seen evidence for a "descending codpiece" design anywhere else).
Thoughts?
Here's the link to the article: http://expositions.bnf.fr/renais/arret/3/1.htm
Anyhoo, to the point- this guy appears to have joined hose with a codpiece made of the same material as his doublet. It COULD be the plain white linen of his braies, but A) the chevron-shape suggests the same pattern as the doublet fabric, and B) the doublet itself is so short that I doubt it would be worn with old-fashioned split hose. The matching fabric does make the doublet look as though it's made with a "crotch strap" like a leotard, though my gut tells me this would be less comfortable to wear than a conventional pair of hosen with the codpiece built in (and I've never seen evidence for a "descending codpiece" design anywhere else).
Thoughts?
Here's the link to the article: http://expositions.bnf.fr/renais/arret/3/1.htm
