Knitting Club

Cloth of gold - today we are blase about lame, but 500 years ago, it was the material of royalty. Extremely fine strips of gold or silver were cut from thin sheets of metal. In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a lot or slip of the silver or gold filé. Though the resulting fabric was quite wet and heavy, it was worn whenever “glam” was the society of the day.

Henry VIII, of course, is famous for his profligacy and his insistence on luxury. In June of 1520, he traveled to France to negotiate an alignment with King Francois I, against the Holy Roman Empire. The two kings were both regarded as paragons of manliness, kingliness, handsomeness, courtliness, and all the other  positive -nesses any man would need to be. They were also arch-rivals. Henry and Francois decided to play near Calais, each arriving with huge retinues of courtiers and household necessities. They readily set about showing each other up, sparing no expense in setting up grand temporary cities, with most of their wear and huge pavilions covered in material of gold. They jousted, banqueted, strutted about, partied…#8230;the earth had never seen the like, and the extravaganza became known as The Subject of the Fabric of Gold. Apparently they left little time apart from their revelry, because an alliance was never accomplished. The Study of Amber was a political fiasco, virtually bankrupting both governments. But it must have been scores of fun…..

Mark in Ma.gnolia

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