DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22262#0065
Tailor's Books Preserved in Polish Archives
tatively assumed they are of the same origin. One of them was created at the end of
the seventeenth century and was the property of the Tailors Guild in Opole11. Its
bound paper leaves sized 20 by 16 cm feature 24 drawings. The book is therefore
much richer than the Poznań and Wschowa books (which were older), in terms of
both the number of patterns and their variety. The most conspicuous are ecclesias-
tical vestments: a chasuble, a dalmatic, a pluvial, a communicanfs dress and
a gonfalon. The book also contains patterns for two tents and a velvet horse blanket-
ing. The highlights of this compilation are foreign garments: Spanish ('spaniegskiej
satkij'), Hungarian ('wagierskij kosug'), French ('francuski]' satki') and an unnamed
pattern for a justaucorps ('szostakor'). Local dress is represented by coats ('tumski',
'fliglig plosc' and 'twikil plosc'), and gowns ('paniegsko'). The other patterns in the
book are for a corset, hoods, single-seam gloves and a dress to be worn under
a ąuirass. The pattern drawings are careless, and the descriptions are in Polish with
traces of the Silesian dialect.
The other of the Opole books dates from 1705 and was the private property of the
Opole-based master tailor Franciszek Mojski12. It includes 21 drawings on paper,
sized 19 by 15 cm with descriptions in German. In terms of contents it is in many
respects similar to the Opole Guild Book above. Supposedly, it was an extract from
a guild book prepared by master Mojski for his and his apprentices' private use.
A majority of patterns in master Mojski's book seems virtually copied from the
Guild Book, a major difference being the less careful drawing. Besides, the pattern
of justaucorps is missing in Mojski's book, there is only one tent in it, the gonfalon
is different, and the walisher rock (a Wallachian dress?) is shown differently, resem-
bling more the pattern of the cavalryman's dress in the Poznań book. The other pat-
terns have their counterparts in the Guild Book: a chasuble and a dalmatic, a cov-
erlet and a communist's dress, single-seam gloves, a French garment, a Hungarian
garment, two cloaks, a hood, dresses worn under the ąuirass, a town woman's dress
and a horse blanketing.
The first thing we notice comparing the four books discussed above is their formal
similarity. The format is a recurring feature: drawings accompanied by listings of
the kind and ąuantity of fabric needed. This consistency is a result of standardized
and enduring demands set for aspiring master tailors in Central European guilds.
Generally, they were expected to be able to draw a pattern and assess the ąuantities
of materiał reąuired for a garment. The Opole books are much richer than those
from the region of Wielkopolska (Major Poland) as regards the number of patterns
and the breadth of description.
The above outlines the results of the first stage of archive searches and preliminary
studies of pattern books of Tailors Guilds. In the next phase we will continue the
11 AP Opole, 'Cechy miasta Opola', Vol. 80.
12 AP Opole, 'Cechy miasta Opola', Vol. 81.
tatively assumed they are of the same origin. One of them was created at the end of
the seventeenth century and was the property of the Tailors Guild in Opole11. Its
bound paper leaves sized 20 by 16 cm feature 24 drawings. The book is therefore
much richer than the Poznań and Wschowa books (which were older), in terms of
both the number of patterns and their variety. The most conspicuous are ecclesias-
tical vestments: a chasuble, a dalmatic, a pluvial, a communicanfs dress and
a gonfalon. The book also contains patterns for two tents and a velvet horse blanket-
ing. The highlights of this compilation are foreign garments: Spanish ('spaniegskiej
satkij'), Hungarian ('wagierskij kosug'), French ('francuski]' satki') and an unnamed
pattern for a justaucorps ('szostakor'). Local dress is represented by coats ('tumski',
'fliglig plosc' and 'twikil plosc'), and gowns ('paniegsko'). The other patterns in the
book are for a corset, hoods, single-seam gloves and a dress to be worn under
a ąuirass. The pattern drawings are careless, and the descriptions are in Polish with
traces of the Silesian dialect.
The other of the Opole books dates from 1705 and was the private property of the
Opole-based master tailor Franciszek Mojski12. It includes 21 drawings on paper,
sized 19 by 15 cm with descriptions in German. In terms of contents it is in many
respects similar to the Opole Guild Book above. Supposedly, it was an extract from
a guild book prepared by master Mojski for his and his apprentices' private use.
A majority of patterns in master Mojski's book seems virtually copied from the
Guild Book, a major difference being the less careful drawing. Besides, the pattern
of justaucorps is missing in Mojski's book, there is only one tent in it, the gonfalon
is different, and the walisher rock (a Wallachian dress?) is shown differently, resem-
bling more the pattern of the cavalryman's dress in the Poznań book. The other pat-
terns have their counterparts in the Guild Book: a chasuble and a dalmatic, a cov-
erlet and a communist's dress, single-seam gloves, a French garment, a Hungarian
garment, two cloaks, a hood, dresses worn under the ąuirass, a town woman's dress
and a horse blanketing.
The first thing we notice comparing the four books discussed above is their formal
similarity. The format is a recurring feature: drawings accompanied by listings of
the kind and ąuantity of fabric needed. This consistency is a result of standardized
and enduring demands set for aspiring master tailors in Central European guilds.
Generally, they were expected to be able to draw a pattern and assess the ąuantities
of materiał reąuired for a garment. The Opole books are much richer than those
from the region of Wielkopolska (Major Poland) as regards the number of patterns
and the breadth of description.
The above outlines the results of the first stage of archive searches and preliminary
studies of pattern books of Tailors Guilds. In the next phase we will continue the
11 AP Opole, 'Cechy miasta Opola', Vol. 80.
12 AP Opole, 'Cechy miasta Opola', Vol. 81.