This little figurine raises a lot of questions for the intrepid costume researcher. Often, when researching historical clothing, "pop" art like these types of figurines as well as pastoral paintings and prints are not used. Why? They're not meant to be realistic--that is, they aren't representing an actual scene or real people, so they become a bit untrustworthy. For instance, common wisdom tells us that women didn't scamper about wearing only their stays--they covered them with a jacket or gown except in extreme circumstances (ie, baling hay in midsummer). Yet, many of these pastoral prints and figurines show women in clearly sleeveless garments.
What to make of that? Well, for one--much of what we call "normal" is taken directly from what is "normal" for the region we study. For most Revolutionary War reenactors, that's the English colonies or merry old England herself. Could it be that norms *changed* when one set foot on the eastern side of the Channel? Yes, indeed--many travelers to the Continent noted that the women there wore looser, softer stays that were dubbed "corsette" (we English speakers seemed to call them "jumps"). So, perhaps, that norm of always covering them shifted a bit, too.
Of course, much of our "normal" also comes from societal elites. Of course it was normal for a lady of leisure to cover her stays. But for the working woman--perhaps we don't have her normal on record.
Finally, a fun factoid about this particular figure. She is part of the Gallant Orchestra, a collection of figurines depicting musicians. And they were based on live models from the Dresden opera.
And she has fabulous red shoes on...but color and pattern in a subject for an entirely different musing on Meissen.
Posts
