Re-enactments to remember

 

Our encampment fulfils four important functions: firstly it is intended to give a strong visual impression of the past, with the most authentic artifacts and furnishings we are able to provide; secondly it offers shelter from all the vicissitudes of the weather - wind, rain or burning sunshine; thirdly it is the framework or setting for our performances and fourthly it provides us with the genuine camping facilities which we need. Our camp consists of two tents: a round pavilion which is the lady’s personal quarters, fitted out for her comfort and convenience. It is a luxurious bedchamber, richly hung and furnished.

This tent was made by Victor James and I made the front awning and painted it. The inspiration for its design came from this illumination from the French fifteenth century manuscript, “Les Livres des Histoires dou Commencement dou Monde”:

Here are some interior views:

           

Great care has been taken over making authentic furnishings such as these pillows the design of which is taken from early pictures.

Although the round pavilion is the most familiar shape of early European tents, I have found plenty of pictorial evidence for tents of a simple rectangular shape, such as this delightful picture of an encampment before a tournament in which the precious horses are housed in tents of both type:

A painting showing the Siege of Mortagne in 1377 shows tents of this shape elaborately painted:

and so our second tent is of this design – one which I could construct myself:

Tents of all descriptions provided many useful functions in society, from the simple booths and bender tents of traders at markets and fairs  -

Through military encampments for siege, battle and tournament, culminating in pleasure pavilions, created for special events. The apogee of these is surely the “Field of Cloth of Gold”, the famous summit meeting of Henry VIII and his rival, Francis I of France, renowned its fantastic tents. Here, at vast expense, the two kings had opportunity to compare their rich clothes and jewels, good looks and prowess in sport in a temporary city where Henry’s largest pavilion of wood, canvas and glass was over 300 feet square and Francis had a sixty foot pavilion of gold damask, lined with blue velvet embroidered with fleurs-de-lys! Pleasure pavilions of more modest proportions would be used for hunting parties and picnics, and also for providing such al fresco entertainments as banquets, plays and masques for visiting royalty and nobility. On state occasions they housed those guests who could not be accommodated elsewhere. Here, a charming detail from a fifteenth century German tapestry shows a couple playing at cards in a delightful pavilion set in a flowery garden.

Inspired by these pictures and descriptions of wonderful tents made for special occasions, I have designed our rectangular pavilion has to be a little of all these. It combines the functions of mess tent, demonstration area and sleeping quarters. We can quite unashamedly invite even the king or queen to partake of a banquet of sweetmeats here or entertain them with some play or story. Created to function as an adaptable stage set, it can be entirely open,

we can create or close entrances and exits at will for dramatic effect or increase protection against the weather.

At night the whole edifice becomes a closed dormitory. It took me many weeks to design, cut, sew and paint it so that it entirely complements the lady’s pavilion.

 

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