Infant clothing from 1235

Laura

Laura

Alumni
I'm going to be in Madrid this summer, and I'm planning on visiting the new-ish costume museum while there. I was poking around their website, and I came across this exhibit.

"the funerary trousseau of Princess María"

Maria died as a baby in 1235. I have never before heard of clothing from so long ago still surviving. I wish I could have seen the exhibit! It must have been fascinating.

Laura
 
Ooops, the link reverted back to the Spanish text for some reason. Here is the English version:

During the first year of functioning (from April 2004 until March 2005) the showcase Treasure of the Past of the permanent collection lodged the funerary trousseau of the Infanta María, daughter of the king Ferdinand the III of Castilla y León.
The Infanta died in 1235, when she was still a child, only a few days before her mother Beatriz de Suabia. The trousseau consists of panty hose, jacket and “garnacha” which are the pieces that the Infanta was wearing when she was buried. The good state of conservation and the excellent restauration made by the Restauration and Conservation Centre of Castilla y León in Simancas (Valladolid) allowed us to learn these pieces of the 13th century, as well as more details about the fabric and the technique.
The costume of the Infanta María, conserved in the Panteón Real of San Isidoro in León, together with some other exhumed in the Monasterio de las Huelgas, in Burgos, represent the sole civil clothing collection of the 13th century.
Click to expand...

That's funny about your first impression! I didn't think about that when I typed the title, but I certainly understand why you thought it would be a wacky ebay claim. It seems impossible for there to be surviving clothing from the 13th century, doesn't it?

Laura
 
Ok, I have to say that though these are very interesting, they were worn when the Infanta was burried and that creeps me out. So, someone disinterred her and removed the clothing? Ewwwww!
 
I don't know if it was common, but it was not *uncommon* for nobility or religious figures in Spain to be disinterred and reburied in a new location for political or family reasons. I don't know the details about when or why it was done with Maria, but it must have been relatively recent if they thought the clothing important enough to remove and save. I would guess it was within the last 100 years. It didn't occur to me that it would be creepy, I guess because it's a topic I've encountered before.

As an example, I found that one of Maria's brothers had their mother disinterred and reburied in Seville with their father upon his death. I suspect that Maria was moved at the same time, since she and her mother were probably buried together, but I haven't come across documentation of it.

I've heard similar accounts of other prominent people of the period, too.

The moving of bodies doesn't bother me so much, but the fact that they took Maria's clothing does seem...disrespectful?...somehow.

Laura
 
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