I obtained the silk cloth from a commercial source. Since the main colors of my arms are red and white, I bought silk in these colors. I decided to make a standard banner, with swallow-tail, indicating my own arms on the white silk, similar to silk banners commonly seen in the SCA. I choose to make a second banner bearing the device of Æthelmearc, to show my pride in my Kingdom.
Banner 1:
I started first on the white banner. Banners of this type, with a swallow-tail
were very common throughout the medieval period. Examples of such banners can be seen in the
Bayeux Tapestry as well as the Maciejowski Bible.
Banners depicted in the Maciejowski Bible are seen on the left and examples from the Bayeux Tapestry are shown on the right.
After cutting out the fabric, I turned over the edges twice
and stitched it down with a hem stitch.
Due to the fine nature of the fabric, it tends to pucker so great care
had to be taken to ensure the fabric stayed flat and the stitches did not "pull"
the fabric. The edge along the hoist, I
folded back to create a pocket for the
staff and stitched this securely.
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| Banner hemmed, ready for painting. |
The last phase involved painting the displayed eagle on the fabric. This charge is a part of my registered arms,
and I wanted to include it to clearly indicate the identity of the standard
bearer, as was done in period. I used a
fine pen to draw the eagle. Normally I
like to free-hand draw my artwork, but because of the expense of the silk and
the permanency of the ink, I did not want to risk error which could not be
erased. Hence, in the tradition cited by
Cennini, I traced the image onto the silk from a drawing I have done of this
eagle in the past for a prior embroidery project. [2]
The paint does go completely through the fabric, creating a
reverse image as indicated above. Therefore, the eagle is displayed reversed on the back side. The reverse side needed to be painted as
well, because the paint did not fully permeate the cloth. After painting both sides in the black, I
touched up the white detail lines to create crisp clear lines. Having done this, the banner was finished and ready to use.
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| Finished banner |
I initially planned to only make the one banner, but I later decided I wanted a flag in the other primary color of my own arms. I also decided to add my Kingdom's populace arms in order to incorporate my pride of Æthelmearc into this project. I figured this would be a nice banner to take
with me, especially as I travel and enter Tournaments outside the Kingdom, to
display at my pavilion or encampment.
This style of banner, which has a single long tail, is
commonly seen in many examples of art from the medieval period. The work Medieval Costume, Armour and
Weapons includes numerous examples of this type of banner used by the
Germans, Hungarians, Czechoslovakians, and the Hussites.[3]
For this banner, I decided to use two layers for greater substance. This silk is a heavier blend and I wanted a more substantial feel to the banner itself. I also choose to use the ties method of fastening it to the banner pole or lance. After cutting out the fabric, I sewed the seams using a very tight backstitch. This is one of the strongest period stitches and does well under pressure, which I felt was ideal to this project. Since most of the stitch is concealed within the layers of fabric, it was not necessary to use a hidden stitch like the hem stitch. I left a small section open, about 5 inches long. After turning the fabric back "outside out," I finished stitching the seam using over-cast stitches. Following this, I cut out and sewed the ties. I did not use the turn-inside out - stitch, and turn outside-out method, but pinned down the edges turned-in, and stitched them with an over-cast stitch. I felt this would make the ties lie flatter. I didn't want to iron this delicate fabric any more than necessary. The ties were attached with over-cast stitches from the back side so that there was minimal stitch visible on the main side. This banner was made primarily one-sided, with the device painted only on the main side.
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| Painting process |
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| Finished banner |
Summary
In the SCA, heraldry adds to the pageantry of our
events. It also enhances the mood and
experience of our re-creation of the Middle Ages. When people first join the SCA, it seems that
heraldry is one of the first things they ask about, wanting to know, "How can I get my own set of arms?" and "What
can I do with it once I register my arms?" Making and displaying banners with our
heraldry proudly displayed is one of the most common and enjoyable methods of
utilizing arms in the SCA. The display
of arms was an essential part of Tournaments and arms were displayed on the
battlefield as a method of recognizing friend from foe. As an SCA equestrian, I enjoy researching
the methods heraldry was used by mounted warriors in the medieval period. I enjoy making banners such as these, for
use on the Tournament field. In more
recent years, it has been important for me to make these banners in an
authentic and historically accurate manner, such as represented here in this project.
1. Website: Period stitches and extant examples, August 2009, http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc‑carlson/cloth/stitches.htm
2. According to the Italian painter, Cennini (c. 1370 B c. 1440), artists were encouraged to copy the works of other artists, especially when working on paintings for panels. He noted that the artist should even use tracing paper to make exact copies. He explains exactly how this should be done in his work Il libro dell'arte, ( The Craftsman's Handbook). This "how to" book on Renaissance art is available online at http://www.noteaccess.com/Texts/Cennini/1.htm
3. Wagner, Drobna, and Durdik. Medieval Costume, Armor and Weapons. (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 2000). Part VIII, Plates 2, 4,6,7,8.
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