Thursday, August 15, 2013

A Painter's Bill to the Earl of Warwick, 1437



Thes be the parcels that Will Seburgh Citizen and Peyntour of London hath delivered in the monthe of Juyli the xv yeer of the reign of Kyng Harry the sixt, to John Ray, Taillour, of the same Citee, for the use and stuff of my Lord of Warwyk.

Ferst, CCCC. Pencels bete with the Raggidde staffe of silver, pris the pece v. d.  8l.  06s. 00.
Item, for the peynting of two Paveys for my Lord, the one with a Gryfon stondying in my Lordis Colours rede, white and russet, pris of the Pavys, 00 06 08.
Item, for the other Pavys peyntid with blak and a Raggid staffe bete with silver occupying all the felde, pris 00 03 04.
Item, one Cote for my Lordis body, bete with fine gold, pris 01 10 00.
Item, other two Cotes for Herawdes, bete with dymy gold, pris the pece xx s. 02 00 00
Item, iii. Banners for Trumpetts bete with dymy gold, pris the pece xiii s. iiii d. 02 00 00.
Item, iiii. Spere shafts of reed, pris the pece xii d. 00 04 00.
Item, one grete Burdon peynted with reed 00 01 02.
Item, 1. nother Burdon ywrithyn with my Lordis Colours, reed, white, and russet, 00 02 66
Item, for a grete Stremour for the Ship of xl. yerdis length, and viii.yerdis in brede, with a grete Bere and Gryfon holding a Raggid staffe,  poudrid full of raggid staves; and for a grete Crosse of S. George, for the lymmyng and portraying, 01 06 08.
Item, a Gyton for the Shippe of viii. yerdis longe, poudrid full of raggid staves, for the lymmyng and workmanship 00 02 00.
Item, for xviii. grete Standards, entretaiilcd with the Raggid staffe, pris the pece viii d. 00 12 00.
Item, xviii. Standardis of worsted, entretallied with the Bere and a Cheyne, pris the pece xii d. 00 18 00.
Item, xvi. othir Standardis of worsted entretailled with the Raggid staffe, pris the pece xii d. 00 05 04.
Item, 3. Penons of Satyn cntreteyllcd with Raggid staves, for the lymmyng full of raggid staves, pris the pece ii s. 00 06 00.
Item, for the Cote armour bete for George by the commandement of my Lord, pris 00 06 08.

Dugdale, William. 1730. The antiquities of Warwickshire illustrated; from records, leiger-books, manuscripts, charters, evidences, tombes, and armes: beautified with maps, prospects, and portraictures. London: Printed for J. Osborn and T. Longman.

I see several interesting points.

Devices are often "bete"which I take as decorated with gold or silver leaf. Silver leaf tarnishes, but these heraldic displays were relatively ephemeral.

The thrifty earl specified fine gold for his own coat armor, but less pure alloy for his heralds and musicians.

The St. George cross was much less universal than it would become on Tudor ensigns.

The flags were often entretailled.  I take this to mean decorated with cloth cutouts sewn down as apppliqués or glued down as Cennini suggests.  In either case, further decoration by a painter was required.

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