Kilted Shakespeare?

[Dale-of-Cedars]

News story about Shakespeare's “portrait” found on the cover of a 16th-century botany book.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/b...cle4445560.ece

But what I find interesting is how the media is avoiding noticing (or showing) what he is wearing; which looks very much like kilt and hose.
(Look for #5 in this image: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multim...re_909553a.jpg)

Since it was the 1500's it's probably a leine and brat, but let's just not mention it at all, it might confuse the public, there's been too much about Scots in the news recently....

[The Q]

As I mentioned in a thread about the TV Series Wolf Hall, in which the actors wore as accurate as they could get historical clothing.
The clothing of the time was a coat often belted which went down to or close to the knees which appeared Kilt like, also the men at that time wore long hose which normally disappeared under the coat. As the figures generally are Greco-Roman style, the hose appears to have been cut short like the modern Kilt hose.
Lord Burghleys picture (2) is noticeably more 1500s, unlike the Shakespeare more Greco -Roman, Upsetting Lord Burghley could cost you your head, unlike a famous actor /writer
At that time Saxon clothing could easily have gone towards the kilt for men, but didn't and moved towards trousers.
Also at that time men wore a scrip (pouch on a string) hanging from their belts, the predecessor of the sporran, as pockets had not yet come into use.

It's surprising the article didn't mention Queen Elizabeth the First on the top centre of the picture as a fairly obvious "Fairy Queen"

Books of that time often had glowing words and pictures as frontispieces to flatter the sponsors or possible buyers of the book to encourage sales.

[Pleater]

In the coloured in version I have, Shakespeare is blonde, his boots are blue with gold tops. The skirt is gold, and the short tunic over it is blue, the cloak is red and there is a piece of red material hanging down in front of the tunic, knotted onto the cloak on the left shoulder and fixed somehow on the right - it could perhaps have been used as a hood but would help to balance the cloak when it was thrown back behind the shoulders. The colouring in makes it clear that separate garments are intended - assuming that is the case and not just the colourists whim

Lord Burghley is resplendent in purple.

Shakespeare appears to be holding a partly peeled stalk of Indian Corn, with tassels in his left hand - I wonder if there is any significance in that, as there seems to be significance in most things.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Dixiecat]

In the coloured in version I have, Shakespeare is blonde, his boots are blue with gold tops. The skirt is gold, and the short tunic over it is blue, the cloak is red and there is a piece of red material hanging down in front of the tunic, knotted onto the cloak on the left shoulder and fixed somehow on the right - it could perhaps have been used as a hood but would help to balance the cloak when it was thrown back behind the shoulders. The colouring in makes it clear that separate garments are intended - assuming that is the case and not just the colourists whim

Lord Burghley is resplendent in purple.

Shakespeare appears to be holding a partly peeled stalk of Indian Corn, with tassels in his left hand - I wonder if there is any significance in that, as there seems to be significance in most things.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

I don't think those are tassels, but corn silk - the fiber threads that cover the kernels under the husk and poke out the top. The corn is probably acknowledging the colonies in the new world. One of which is Virginia, named for Queen Elizabeth. I think that QE1 had a part of the garden growing items from the new world.

[Pleater]

Ah - sorry to confuse - tassels is the local name for those strands on the corn cobs.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: