 he
materials from which the gamurre were made varied according to
class and purpose. Most likely, the predominant fabric used was wool, although Brown describes Ginevra de Benci as wearing a fine brown wool (figure 6) reflecting her modesty. In warmer climates and seasons it could
also be made of silk damask, brocade or satin and embellished so that
it was more appropriate for wearing alone even in more formal, public
settings. There are references to several gamurre owned by Beatrice
d'Este, which were made of wonderfully sumptuous fabrics, woven with
metal threads and heavily embroidered, one with the Sforza deviceiv.
According to Herald, in these cases, the gamurra was called a cotta,
--although interestingly enough, Birbari uses the word gamurra in
the translations of letters written by Beatrice to her sister, Isabella
and her mother Leonora, in which these dresses are described. In Figure
1, Beatrice d'Este wears a gamurra made of silk satin that is
appliqued with liste or strips of contrasting color fabric. The sleeves
were tied on, a style popular later in the century. It is decorated
with aghetti, a term stemming from the word for the metal aglets sometimes
adorning the ribbons, but eventually came to refer to the entire lace
and not just the tipv.
|
