Featured Garment: "17th" Century(?) Jacket

Seriously, this piece is bizarre.  But I'm going to attempt to keep this to strict observations, at least at first.

Standard Disclaimer: This article is rife with opinions, as well as facts (which can mostly be verified through observation).  My intent in writing it is to educate myself, and promote discussion--i.e., if you have other observations or research, please post in the comments at the bottom of the page.

  Ok.  The Met museum states this as being a 17th Century piece, and British.  It was donated to the museum by one Mary Dykman Dean (wife of Bashford Dean, who founded the Museum's Arms and Armour department).  Other than the length at center back, that is all the information the museum has--I asked, and waited several weeks for them to get back with me before beginning to write this.

Featured Garment: 1640s German Hunter

Disclaimer:  As always, my featured garment posts are meant to give ideas and promote discussion; unfortunately, this one is more filled with supposition than usual, since it is neither my period, nor one I could find much in the way of articles on.  If you do know of good quality articles on working class 1640s Low Countries/Germany--please, share!


To contrast with the last featured garment--the 1650s Anglo-Irish hunter--have another hunter from only a decade prior....but a whole different social class.

The topic this week is a painting by one Joachim von Sandrart, titled simply as November, and was painted in 1643.  I chose it because--let's be honest, that looks like a wonderfully warm and comfortable outfit.

Featured Garment: 1650s Anglo-Irish Hunting Suit

It's been quite a while since I managed to write any of these--a full 4 months, in fact.  Not only have I been lacking inspiration, but I haven't had a computer capable of serious research.  Not fun.

Anyways, I'm still having issues with finding pieces I felt like writing about, but finally did find one today, in the Hunting Clothing folder of my Pinterest.  An...intriguing painting of Sir Thomas Southwell,  an Irishman of English decent (his Grandfather came to Ireland during the Rule of James I, presumably sometime around the Plantation of Ulster, 1609), in hunting dress.  At the time of the painting, I believe he was "High Sheriff" of three Irish counties (Kerry, Clare, and Limerick)  I think the first thing that drew my eyes were those boots, followed by the firearm, and only then did I notice unusual fastening on the jerkin.

In the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds