Corsets, Crinolines and Codpieces 8...The Eyes have it!

Shape Changing......Make up for the eyes

From historical records it seems that Kohl or a substitute may have been first used as a aid to deflect the sun from the eyes.  Modern cosmetic 'kohl' does not have these benefits.

Ancient Egyptian  Queen Nefrit ....3,300 year old painted stucco coated limestone

Queen Nefetari, a painting in her tomb, XIX th Dynasty......the eye as depicted here is very similar to the symbol for the Eye of Horus depicted below

The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health

I was told recently that men in Morocco rim their eyes with kohl to keep out the sun, sand and dust in the desert.

Amazigh Berber nomad, Sahara desert

It seems that Kohl was worn in countries where the sun was stronger,  there does not seem to be any historical records of it being worn in northern countries until it became a fashionable make up feature in modern times.

Portrait of a young lady by Petrus Christus 1465 - 70

Minoan Lady about 1400 BC originally from Knossos

with

Eye make up and lip colouring

Queen Elizabeth 1580 artist unknown

again eyes are not emphasized

The traditional make up of the Keisha

and a western parody of it

False eyelashes are added for more emphasis

Alice Prin a flapper

... and Twiggy, eyelashes are painted on the skin 

People whom you are used to seeing with eye make up look almost undressed with out it.
And to finish some steam punk make up...an art form in itself....

 I have not been able to credit some of the photos...but thank you ...

Corsets, Crinolines and Codpieces... Part five

Crowning Glories

Women's Hairstyles from 1400

In the late 1400 women appeared in public with their heads uncovered.
According to the portrait painters of that time, some of the styles were extremely ornate. I can find no documentation to verify that these elaborate coiffures were the norm ; or were made especially for the portrait or perhaps the artists own invention.

Sandro Botticelli: Portrait of a young woman 1480- 1485

Bartolomeo Montgagna: Saint Justina of Padua 1490's

Domenico Ghirlandaio:Portrait of Giovaina Tornbuoni 1488 A much simpler style, perhaps depicting the youth of Raphael's model   Raphael: Portrait of a Young Woman 1506 And this wonderful loose and natural style  Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa 1503 Watch for more on this topic Also more of this series; Corsets, Crinolines and Codpieces, Parts one, two, three and four

 

Domenico Ghirlandaio:Portrait of Giovaina Tornbuoni 1488

A much simpler style, perhaps depicting the youth of Raphael's model

 

Raphael: Portrait of a Young Woman 1506

And this wonderful loose and natural style 

Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa 1503

Watch for more on this topic

Also more of this series; Corsets, Crinolines and Codpieces, Parts one, two, three and four

Corsets, Crinolines and Cod Pieces...Part four...A Male Problem

A Male Problem!


Codpieces

Another unique renaissance fashion that this time was born out of necessity was the codpiece.The dictionary describes it as an appendage like a small bag or flap at the front of a man’s breeches:

‘Cod’ from Middle English meaning scrotum.

The fashion for shorter jackets exposed the hip area this necessitated joining the hose together at the top.

A crude but workable version is seen in Pieter Breughel’s painting ‘The Land of Cockaigue’

The Land of Cockaigue 1567 by Pieter Bruegels

From  Bruegels painting The Wedding Dance in the Open Air

In this painting a more three dimensional codpiece is shown..perhaps to celebrate the occasion!

Antonio Navagero 1565 by Moroni

There are many versions of why the codpiece developed from a serviceable flap  into a fashion accessory. 

One is that the hose became so tight when joined around the hips that it restricted movement, another is that it was added for sanitary reasons but soon  developed into something else, a protuberance which called attention to the male anatomy. Another more serious explanation was that syphilis was endemic at that time and that the exaggerated codpiece contained medication for the relief of the symptoms.

Edward III, King of England 1327- 1377, had the codpiece of his amour enlarged to astounding proportions because he had heard that the strength and military prowess were correlated with a man’s ‘endowment’.

At this time not only was this an outward display of virility used to display an aura of strength to your enemies, but to present an image to people that providing an heir would not be a problem, certainly this could have been a reason for Henry VIII to adopt this fashion as seen in the portrait by Hans Holbein 1535

  

Here Henry VIII wears a knee length doublet open at the front to expose the codpiece which was padded and decorated to draw maximum attention to it.

And here are two modern versions of the codpiece. 

Oderus Urungus of GWAR

AND....Batman

Watch out for Part  5....Crinolines

Corsets, Crinolines and Codpieces Part 3

Extremes of Fashion...Hennins and Footwear