We would like to wish you all a very late happy weekend with some reconstruction pictures.

We have just visited Kalmar castle and Roskilde cathedral.

Both places have in their exhibitions a reconstruction of “Queen Margareta’s golden gown”. Roskilde had the original until the 30year war ( in the 17th century) when the Swedes was passing the cathedral on the way home from the war, and just stole the kirtel. Today the original can been seen in Uppsala cathedral.

The kirtel in Kalmar is a printed silk fabric. The fabric is very thin and light.

The one in Roskilde is a reconstruction made by Borås textile University in 1993. That means silk warp and gilded silver thread and silk in the weft. That fabric is very stiff and have more in common with tin foil then a smooth silk.

Here are the different displays:

Kalmar

Roskilde

We are very happy to show how different fabrics drapes. When made out of the same pattern it’s very obvious.

Medieval gold brocade does not really drapes, it’s more like wearing a traffic cone…

Happy weekend ( well…. Tuesday 😉 )

/ Amica and Maria