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Clothing the Medieval Body: A Reconstruction of the Pourpoint of Charles de Blois

  • Author / Creator
    Karbonik, Katelin
  • This thesis investigates a particular surviving medieval garment, the pourpoint of Charles de Blois, from the perspectives of its maker(s) and wearer(s) by making a reconstruction and having a participant wear it. This rare and unique garment is held at the Musée des Tissus in Lyon France, and, like many garments held in collections, is subject to institutional restrictions on its handling. Making a reconstruction provides an opportunity to consider this object as a product of both the maker’s knowledge and the wearer’s bodily experience of the garment. Using a reflexive, embodied-knowledge methodology, a reconstruction of the pourpoint was hand-sewn using a c. 1980 pattern. The resulting reconstruction was worn by a participant who completed self-directed wear periods, a mobility trial and a semi-structured interview that aimed to better understand his subjective wearing experience. Through the combined, embodied processes of making and wearing a reconstruction of the pourpoint of Charles de Blois, a deeper understanding of this garment as intimately related to the embodied craftsmanship of the maker and the needs and experience of the wearer is developed.

  • Subjects / Keywords
  • Graduation date
    Fall 2021
  • Type of Item
    Thesis
  • Degree
    Master of Arts
  • DOI
    https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-wfy2-ec09
  • License
    This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.