Great info, thank you very much!
Two English texts from 15th century that mention doublets. I'm posting translations to modern English here, original texts are accessible in links. Both texts describe arming a man for tournament combat, and we have no information on how this differs from arming for battle.
TREATISE OF WORSHIP IN ARMS, BY JOHAN HILL
TRAYTESE OF THE POYNTES OF WORSHIP IN ARMES BY JOHAN HYLL,
ARMORER SERGEANT IN THE KINGE’S ARMORY 1434
Bod. Lib., Ashmole. MS. 856, art. 22, pp. 376 - 83
Translation by David Nicolle from Knight Hospitaller (2) 1306 – 1565, Osprey Publishing 2001, p25
Original text in The Armourer and His Craft: From the XIth to the XVIth Century
By Charles Ffoulkes, 1988:
http://willscommonplacebook.blogspot.com/2008...johan.html
First him needeth to have a pair of hose of whipcorde without wampeys. And the said hose cut at the knees and lined within with linen cloth cut on the bias as the hose are.
A pair of shoes of red leather laced and fretted underneath with whipcord & persed [given a thin leather sole]. And above within lined with linen cloth three fingers broad, doubled and biased from the toe and anklebone to above the ankle. And so behind at the heel from the sole half a quarter of a yard from this so as to fasten well his sabatons. And the same sabatons fastened under the sole of the foot in two places.
Him needeth also a petycote as an overbody of a doublet. His petycote without sleeves, the sizes of it three-quarters around without a collar and reaching no further than the waist and a doublet also with straight sleeves, collar, and certain eyelets on the sleeves for the vambraces and the rerebraces.
Armed in this manner, first put on the sabatons, greaves and tight cuisses with voydours of plate or of mail and a close breech [for the groin] of mail with five steel buckles and fine leather straps. And all the arming points after they have been knit and fastened upon him, ensure that the points be cut off [meaning the remaining lenghts of leather lace be removed]. And then a pair of close gussets [of mail], ensuring that the gussets extend three fingers' width within the edges of his plates [cuirass] on both sides. And then a pair of plates of 20 pounds weight on his breast, and these plates secured also with wire or with [leather] points. A pair of rerebraces from within the plates with two forelocks [buckled straps] in the front and three forelocks behind. A pair of vambraces closed with voydours of mail and fretted. A pair of gloves [gauntlets] in whatever style is suitable. A
bascinet suited to the lists is not suitable for other battles, but when fighting man to man it is said 'necessity hath no law'. The bascinet locked with a bevor and visor which is locked or strapped also to the chestand back with two forelocks.
And this aforesaid Gentleman, when he is thus armed and ready to come to the field, will have on him a coat-armour [a tabard at this period] of single cloth which is better when fighting. And his leg harness covered all over with red tarityn [cloth], the which has been called the tincturing of his leg armour because of this manner his opponent will not so easily see his blood. And therefore also his hose should be red for in all other colours the blood will easily be seen. During the olden times in such a battle nothing should have been seen except his helmet and his gauntlets. And finaly tie upon him a pair of besagews [steel discs to protect the shoulder joints].
How a man shall be armed for his ease when he shall fight on foot
c1450,
Hastings MS. [f.122b]
Archeologia 57, Vol. 1 Translated from the Middle English by Brian Price
http://www.chronique.com/Library/Armour/armyd1.htm
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He shall have no shirt upon him except for a doublet of fustian lined with satin, cut full of holes. The doublet must be strongly built; the points must be set at the break in the arm in the front and back. To lace the gussets of mail must be sewn onto the doublet also at the break in the arm and at the underarm.
The arming points must be made of fine twine like that with which men make strings for crossbows. These points must have tips for lacing. And they must be waxed with leather-workers's [cood?], such that they will neither stretch nor break. And he should wear a pair of hose made of worsted cloth. Around the knees should be wrapped ' bulwarks' of thin blankets to reduce the chafing by the leg harness. He should wear a pair of thick shoes, provided with points sewn on the heel and in the middle of the sole to a space of three fingers.
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Some link description "doublet of fustian lined with satin, cut full of holes" in "How a man shall be armed" to "Lentner", doublet covered with stitched "buttonholes", this one is presumably from early 16th century, Bern, Switzerland:
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But it might be that it only references to many holes for pointing vambraces, hose and leg harness, and maybe even voiders.
This "doublet" also comes up in some pages and debates, it's from Keinbusch collection in Philladelphia, and it has been attributed variously as being from late 15th century to 17th century in date. It is made from leather:
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Madrid artillery museum catalogue from 1837 shows these protective garments. They have deteriorated so badly that they were thrown away, and they are described as "early 16th century". Illustration is too sketchy in my opinion to be of much value.
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"Chef de chambre" from Firestryker forums describes this group of illustrations of arming doublets with leather reinforcing:
Donor Portrait of Don Inigo de Mendoza
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Quote: |
There are two other 15th century pictures of arming doublets I am aware of (and several 16th century ones), one is in a book of hours showing an Archer of the guard of Louis XI's father, wearing this doublet carrying points with cloth or leather re-enforcing along the seams in stripes. Over it he wears his embroidered livery, wears a soft tall hat, and carries a glaive. The other is a Portugese donor portrait with a kneeling doner, the sleeves of his red doublet carrying points and having bits of armour attatched. There is a picture of a tavern scene - not of the same quality as these other two - a typical delightful Franco/Flemish miniature of good quality, showing amongst several people at a table, a fellow wearing an identical grey doublet with those re-enforcing strips in black to the Scots Archer (busily putting away some wine). |
Anyone knows what are the other pictures (I only know of "Portugese donor)? Text is too vague to be of any use. Maybe I should ask him...