Category Archives: Fashion

Men and Jewelry – Addendum

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Last week I blogged about the history of men’s jewelry. Today I read an article in BBC History with an interesting side note.

The article concerned the mystery of whether Richard III murdered the princes in the Tower. To summarize the history: In 1483, Edward IV’s sons were 12 and 9 at the time of the King’s death. Because Edward V was too young to rule, his uncle Richard of Gloucester was appointed Lord Protector to rule until his nephew was old enough. Shortly thereafter, he put the princes in the Tower.

Over the summer, they were seen less and less and by the end of the summer they were never seen again. At the time it was assumed Richard had murdered them. By then, he’d declared them illegitimate and taken the crown for himself.

In 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered under a staircase in the Tower, close to where the prince had been kept. They were buried and although they were exhumed in the 30’s, the results of the analysis weren’t conclusive.

People who believe Richard murdered the boys rely on an account by Thomas More who wrote a detailed explanation of what happened and who was guilty. The skeptics believe More’s account was propaganda put forth by the Tudors.

However, the men More accuses were real people: Miles Forrest and John Dighton, and were carried out on the orders of Sir James Tyrell. He was Richard III’s right hand man and fiercely loyal. A will was also discovered which mentioned a gold chain (told you there was jewelry involved) that belonged to young Edward V. As I mentioned previously, gold chairs and jewels were frequently given as rewards to favored individuals. This chain was owned by a wealthy woman who was the sister-in-law of Sir James Tyrell. Tyrell’s lawyer was also a man named John More, the father of Thomas More. So we have a web of connections as well as a physical object.

Considering how desperately some people long for power (why, they might even invade an innocent country), the evidence here sounds pretty plausible. We may never know for sure, though, since there are no forensics except for the skeletons and tests on them have proven nothing.

Men and Jewelry

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Except for a wedding band or signet ring, in our culture men wearing chains or earrings was thought to be effeminate. That certainly has not been the case in the past. In fact, men have worn jewelry since the Neolithic. Then, they wore necklaces of teeth or claws, usually from an animal they themselves had hunted and killed. They were a sign of fierceness and hunting prowess.

In the Minoan times, men wore the fancy belts around their waists, just like the women. The frescoes show them wearing necklaces, armbands and earrings of precious metals and gems.

Ancient Egyptians not only wore earrings but armbands and large, heavy pectorals of gold and jewels. This fashion is clearly illustrated in the frescoes. Mummies were buried with their jewelry, not just the elite but common folk as well although the earrings might be made of bone instead of gold. Wearing silver and gold and precious gems was a sign of wealth and status. King Tutankhamun was buried with many pairs of earrings as well as other jewelry. Here’s an odd tidbit; statues of cats display earrings and jewelry has been found in the burials of sacred animals such as the Apis bulls. I find it hard to imagine the cats and dogs I’ve known putting up with earrings for a minute.

In the Renaissance, men wore heavy chains and massive rings, again as a symbol of wealth and status. (I suggest that the same is true of men today.Just look at the rappers and the hiphop stars.)

But what about earrings? A man wearing earrings has taken longer to become acceptable. I know I was startled when I saw a young man wearing diamond earrings that any woman would desire. But earrings have always been just as much a man’s adornment as a woman’s.

Pirates frequently wore earrings. Besides adorning themselves, the earrings could pay for a funeral if he died while on land. No one could accuse a pirate of effeminacy.

Jewelry has also been used as an award or prize. A new sailor had the privilege to put on a ring when he crossed the equator. European kings regularly rewarded a favorite with a piece of jewelry.

ashiI don’t wear too much jewelry – too lazy I guess – but I enjoy seeing it on other people.

Currently Reading

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This week I read a very interesting nonfiction discussion of pretty much everything relating to textiles and a woman’s fashion in a particular place and time.

Kate Strasdin came into possession of a dress diary, a book filled with swatches of the fabrics that made up Anne Sykes, and some of her friends, during the middle of the nineteenth century.

Since her family, and the family of her husband Adam Sykes, were involved in Britain’s textile industry, Anne had access to all the newest cottons, silk from the East, and, later in the century, the newest in the aniline dyes.

Using the fabrics a a springboard, Strasdin references cultural consequences such the enslaved peoples in the United States who picked the cotton that kept the British factories humming.

When Adam Sykes relocates to China, Strasdin discusses silk and, at the same time, the differences in culture, the Opium War, and more.

Colored photographs of the fabric swatches illuminate the text and there is a QR code at the back that brings the reader to more examples.

Fascinating!British History