Report on the Textiles from Burgos Cathedral - Middelalder Centret

Tekstiler på Middelaldercentret - rapportserie
ong>Reportong> on the Textiles
from Burgos Cathedral
in Patrimonio Nacional, Palacio Real
Madrid, Spain
Camilla Luise Dahl
Marianne Vedeler
Concha Herrero Carretero
Middelaldercentret 2008

Textiles from Burgos Cathedral
in Patrimonio Nacional, Palacio Real
Madrid, Spain
Textiles excavated at Burgos, now in the Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid. Top left, inv. no. 653742, bottom
left, close-up of inv. no. 653745 and right inv. no. 653742 and 651983.
The cloister church in Monasterio de Santa María la Real de las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain had been
burial site for members of the royality and nobility in Spain in the Middle Ages. Named Kings and
Queens had been buried here in the 12th to the 14th century. In 1946 several of the coffins in the
Monasterio was examined by Spanish archeaolgist Manuel Gomez-Moreno, the excavated textiles which
counted silk covers, blankets, headwear, footwear and dresses were transported to the National Museum
in Spain, Patrimonio Nacional in Madrid. Unfortunately many items taken from the coffins has not been
well documented in 1946, except for the garments and textiles discovered in the royal graves, many
discovered items are of no longer known context as it has not been documented which coffins they were
taken from.
The textiles has since been re-examined and re-conserved, now with documentation, inventory
number and description of each piece held at the Patrimonio Nacional.

In september 2006 a selection of pieces of
what has been described as head- and neckwear,
excavated in Burgos, were examined for textile
analysis and further description for a project
on medieval headwear at the Medieval Centre,
Denmark. The examination was carried out
by dr. art. Marianne Vedeler, Museum of
Cultural History, University of Oslo and mag.
Camilla Luise Dahl, The Medieval Centre,
Nykøbing, Denmark together with Dr. Concha
Herrero Carretero, head of the Department of
Conservation, Patrimonio Nacional.
The examination included 11 silk pieces,
inventory numbers: (00653737), (00653742),
(00653745), (00653753), (00653754),
(00653737), (00651970), (00651981), (00651982),
(00651983), (00651984), (00651985).
In 1995 these textiles were re-conserved at
the Department for Conservation at Patrimonio
Nacional by dr. Concha Herrero Carretero.
The textiles are each documented by inventory
number, material, place of origin and possible age.
The textiles were all very well preserved,
only in places where the textiles had been in direct
contact with the decaying flesh of the corpses, the
fine silk had rotten away. Human tissue still in
the textiles left brown stains on the examination
gloves.
For the project at The Medieval Centre,
Nykøbing we needed textile analysis of tread
count, tread thickness and weaving which was
carried out by Marianne Vedeler as well as
description of the methods used for creating the
unusual frilled edges on the textiles, which was
examined by Camilla Luise Dahl.
Documentation for Inv. no. 651982

Examination of the Textiles from Burgos in Patrimonio
Nacional, Palacio Real, Madrid.

Examination of the Textiles from Burgos in Patrimonio
Nacional, Palacio Real, Madrid.

ong>Reportong> on the Textiles in Patrimonio Nacional,
Palacio Real:
Textile Analysis
From textile studies in Palacio Real, Madrid, 4-6.9.2006
Marianne Vedeler, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo
On September 4-6th, 2006, a simple tecniqual
analysis of silk bands with frilled edges was
undertaken by Marianne Vedeler, under supervision
of conservator Concha Herrero Carretero. Camilla
Luise Dahl and myself were shown 11 textiles from
the monastery Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas in
Burgos. The bands have most likely been used for
head dressing, and secondarily as part of the burial
costume. The bands are primarily made of silk,
some of them with elements of metalwork. Four of
the presented textiles where examined in regard to
textile analysis by me: No 653742, No 653737, No
651983 and No 651981.
No 653742
From unidentified grave in the monastery Santa
María la Real de Huelgas, Burgos.
Material: Silk
1
A band with frilled edges. Length: 267 cm, width:
13 cm. Edges with thicker warp in 1, 5-1, 6 cm
width from each selvedge. The textile is pleated in
both sides. A ribbon is sewn to one of the bands
selvages. The ribbon is also pleated, but here the
pleating is tighter than in the primary band. The
ribbon is probably pleated separately form the main
band.
There are five stripes in red, brown and white in one
end of the band.
Fig. 1
Central part of the band:
Golden silk made in tabby, z/z-spun, with 36-38/24-
26 threads pr cm in warp and weft. The thickness of
the threads are approximately 0, 1-0, 2 mm in both
thread systems.
Fig. 2
Fig. 1
No 653742. A band with
frilled edges. Length: 267
cm, width: 13 cm. Edges
with thicker warp in 1,
5-1, 6 cm width from each
selvedge.
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler.

Edges and selvages:
Golden silk made in tabby, z/z-spun, with 35/24-26
threads pr cm in warp and weft. The thickness of the
threads of the warp is approximately 0, 3 mm, and
a lot thicker than in the central part of the band. The
area with thicker warp threads is approximately 1,
6-1, 8 cm in with in both sides of the band, starting
at the simple selvages. The weft threads in this area
are the same as in the central part, 0, 1-0, 2 mm
thick.
These edges are pleated, but there are no traces
of needle holes or threads used for ruffles. The
upper end of each fold is relatively sharp, and
approximately 0, 4 cm deep from bottom to top.
Fig. 3
Ribbon:
A golden silk ribbon is sewn to the band along
2
Fig. 2
No 653742
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler.
Fig. 3
No 653742. Edge
with thicker warp
1, 5-1, 6 cm wide.
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler.
one of the selvages of the band, making a second
frilled edge. Only a few stitches are preserved. The
ribbon is 1, 5-1, 6 cm. wide and made in tabby. It
has a simple selvedge in each side, and is made with
double warp threads and single threads in the weft.
There are 19/19-20 threads pr cm in warp and weft.
The thickness of the threads is 0, 2-0, 3 mm in both
warp and weft, but with double threads in the warp.
The ribbon is pleated with 0, 5 cm deep folds. The
folds in the ribbon are set about twice as tight as in
the main band. There are no traces of needle holes
or threads used for ruffles.
Fig. 4
Stripes used for decoration:
I one end of the band, there are 5 decorative stripes
made of weft threads and embroidered threads in
contrasting colors. The stripes are made in two

groups, with three stripes and two stripes in each
group. The group with two stripes is located in the
far end of the band, and this end is fragmented.
There is a clear possibility that this group originally
consisted of three stripes.
All stripes are made in the same colors, white,
brown and red.
Construction of stripe 1:
1 brown weft thread, 1 white weft thread, 1 brown
weft thread, 4 white weft threads. Along this white
central part of the stripe, 4 threads in red color
are sewn in with simple running stitches. The red
threads form rectangles in the centre of the stripe.
These rectangles are 0, 5-0, 6 cm long and 0, 4-0,
5 cm wide. In the other end of the stripe, there is 1
brown weft thread, 1 white weft thread and 1 brown
weft thread. All the other stripes are made in the
same way.
Between the tree inner stripes there is a distance
of approximately 1, 8 cm. At the end of these tree
stripes there is a 3, 5 cm wide break before the last
two stripes separated by 2, 2 cm. The thickness of
3
threads in the stripes is:
Red: 0, 9-1 mm
Brown: 0, 6-0, 7 cm
White: 0, 2-0, 3 mm
Fig. 5
Fig. 4
No 653742. Selvedge
and additional band
each 1, 5-1, 6 cm
wide.
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler
Fig. 5
No 653742. Decorative
coloured stripes:
width: 0,4-0,5 cm.
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler
No 653737
From unidentified grave in the monastery Santa
María la Real de Huelgas, Burgos.
Material: Silk. There is a possibility that other
materials could have been used in the decoration.
A fragmented band in golden silk, with stripes
in contrasting colors. The largest fragment is
approximately 90 cm long and 15 cm. wide. The
fragment is decorated with 7 groups of stripes, each
group consisting of 3 stripes.
In the centre (between each group of stripes), there
is a 9, 5 cm wide field in tabby silk of gauze-quality.
On both sides of this field, thicker warp threads are
used in a 1, 7 cm wide area, reaching the selvages
on both sides. Both long sides are pleated.
A ribbon, 1, 3-1, 4 cm wide, is sewn to the silk band

Fig. 6
No 653737. The largest fragment is approximately 90 cm long and 15 cm. wide. The fragment is decorated with 7
groups of stripes, each group consisting of 3 stripes. Foto: Marianne Vedeler.
4
Fig. 7
No 653737. Selvedges
made with thicker
warp threads: width:
1, 7 cm. The central
piece is of fine silk
gauze. Foto: Marianne
Vedeler.

Fig. 8
No 653737. An additional ribbon, 1, 3-1, 4 cm wide, is sewn to the silk band along the selvedges. Foto: Marianne
Vedeler.
along both selvedges. Ribbon and seams are well
preserved. The ribbon is also pleated, but the folds
are set twice as narrow as in the main band. As in
653742, the ribbon has probably been pleated in a
process separated from the pleating process on the
main band.
Fig. 6
Central part:
Golden silk made in tabby, z/z-spun, with 39/36
threads pr. Cm in warp and weft. The thickness of the
threads is c. 0, 1-0, 2 mm in both thread systems.
Fig. 7
Edges:
Golden silk made in tabby, z/z-spun, with 35/26
threads pr.cm in warp and weft. The thickness of
the threads in the warp is approximately 0, 5 mm
in this area, and thereby much thicker than in the
central part of the band. The weft threads are of the
same type as in the central parts. These are pleated
with sharp folds approximately 0, 4- 0, 5 cm deep
from bottom to top.
5
Fig. 8
Ribbon:
Along each side of the main band, there is a ribbon
sewn to the main textile with simple running
stitches. A z-spun thread in golden silk has been
used to fix the ribbon to the main band. The ribbon is
approximately 1, 3 cm wide in one side and 1, 5
cm wide in the other side of the band. A silk thread
is running through the ribbon, holding the pleated
folds together.
The ribbon is made with double warp threads and
single threads in the weft. All threads are z-spun.
There are 27 double warp threads and 19 single weft
threads pr. cm.
The thickness of each thread is ca 0, 3 mm in both
warp and weft.
Fig. 9
Decorative stripes:
Stripes made of weft threads and embroidered threads
in contrasting colors are used for decoration. The
largest fragment is decorated with 7 groups of such

stripes, each group consisting of 3 stripes in blue,
white, red and yellow, in various combinations.
Pattern of three stripes:
Stripe 1: 1 shuttling with two blue threads, 1 yellow
weft thread, then 4 white weft threads. In this white
centre of the stripe, there are sewn 4 red threads by
using simple running stitches. The red threads are
forming rectangles on the white background, 0, 5-
0, 6 cm long and 0, 4- 0, 5 cm wide. Then follows 1
shuttling with 2 blue threads, 1 yellow weft thread
and at the end 1 shuttling with double blue weft
thread.
There is a distance of 2 cm between this stripe and
the next.
Stripe 2: 1 red weft thread, 2 white weft threads,
1 shuttling with one red and one yellow thread,
6
Fig. 9
No 653737. Additional
ribbon, 1, 3-1,
4 cm wide. Foto:
Marianne Vedeler.
Fig. 10
No 653737. Foto:
Marianne Vedeler.
and then 2 yellow weft threads. Into this yellow
centre of the stripe, there are sewn 4 blue threads
by using simple running stitches. The blue threads
are forming rectangles on the yellow background,
0, 5 cm long and 0, 4 cm wide. Then there is 2 red
weft threads, 2 white weft threads and at the end of
the stripe 1 red weft thread. Then there is a break of
approximately 2 cm.
Stripe 3: 1 shuttling with two blue threads, 1 yellow
weft thread, 1 shuttling with two blue and one
white thread together. Then 3 white weft threads.
In the white centre of the stripe, there are sewn 4
red threads by using simple running stitches. The
red threads are forming rectangles on the white
background, 0, 5 cm long and 0, 4- 0, 5 cm wide.
Then there is 1 shuttling with two blue threads, 1

yellow weft thread and 1 shuttling with two blue
threads. Then there is a 5 cm wide break before the
next pattern of stripes. This pattern consists of 3
stripes with a different combination of colors. The
first stripe is yellow/blue in the centre, then there is
a red/white centered stripe, and at the end there is a
Yellow/blue stripe again. The third set of stripes has
the same combination of colors as the first.
Fig. 10
No 651983
From unidentified grave in the monastery Santa
María la Real de Huelgas, Burgos.
Material: silk.
Band with frilled edges. Length: 147 cm, with: 18
cm. The bands color is today dull brownish yellow.
There is a longitudinal crease in the middle. The
band is in gauze-quality, with edges made with
thicker warp threads ca 0, 8-1 cm. in width from
each selvedge. The edges are pleated. There is no
ribbon sewn along the selvages of this band, and it
is not decorated.
Fig. 11
7
Fig. 11
No 651983.
Band with
frilled edges.
Length: 147
cm, with: 18
cm. Foto: Marianne
Vedeler.
Central part of the band:
Silk woven in tabby, z/z-spun, with 29-32/34 threads
pr cm in warp and weft. The thickness of the threads
is 0, 1-0, and 2 mm in both weaving directions.
Fig. 12
Edges: Silk woven in tabby, with double warp
threads and single weft threads. There are 24 double
warp threads and 34 single weft threads pr. cm. The
thickness of the threads is 0, 1-0, 2 mm in both
weaving directions. The edges are pleated with sharp
fold, 0, 4 cm deep from bottom to top. There are
needle holes in the top of each fold, approximately
0, 4 cm from the selvedge. The distance between
the holes is 0, 5-0, 6 cm.
Fig. 13
No 651981
From unidentified grave in the monastery Santa
María la Real de Huelgas, Burgos.
Material: silk.
Simple golden silk band with a red stripe along one
selvedge. Made in z/z-spun tabby. Length: c. 140
cm, width: c. 11 cm. There is a longitudinal fold

Fig. 12
No 651983. Foto: Marianne Vedeler.
8
Fig. 13
No 651983. Edges
made with thicker
warp threads c.
0, 8-1 cm. in width.
There are needle
holes in the top of
each fold, approximately
0, 4 cm
from the selvedge.
The distance between
the holes is
0, 5-0, 6 cm. Foto:
Marianne Vedeler.

in the middle. The band is in gauze-quality, with
double warp threads along one selvedge.
Fig. 14
Central part:
Silk woven in tabby, hard z/z-spun, 30/29-30
threads pr cm in warp and weft. The thickness of the
threads is approximately 0, 1 mm in both weaving
directions.
Fig. 15
Edges:
In one selvedge, there is a strengthening made of
3 thicker z/z-spun warp threads. The thickness of
these threads is approximately 0, 5 mm. along the
other edge, there is a stripe made of red, double
warp threads 0, 6 cm in from the selvedge. The red
edge is frilled.
Fig. 16-17
Fig. 14
No 651981. Length: c. 140 cm, width: c. 11 cm. Foto: Marianne Vedeler.
9

Fig. 15
No 651981. Foto: Marianne Vedeler.
10

11
Fig. 16 & 17
No 651981. Foto:
Marianne Vedeler.

ong>Reportong> on the Textiles in Patrimonio National,
Palacio Real
Notes on the Visual Appearance of the Frilled Textiles from Burgos
and the Methods of Constructing Frilled Edges.
From textile studies in Palacio Real, Madrid, 4-6.9.2006
Camilla Luise Dahl, The Medieval Centre, Nykøbing
The collection of clothes and textiles excavated
from Burgos Cathedral, now in Patrimonio
Nacional: Palacio Real in Madrid, includes a group
of fragmented strips of silk cloth excavated from
Burgos Cathedral. 1 The fragments varies in size
from just a quarter of a meter to up to six metres in
length.
Only a few of the fragments share obvious
similarities in visual appearance and most of them
creates the overall perception of a variety of styles in
appearance and technique. The long pieces have all
formed part of women’s headwear. All of them are
made of varying lengths of narrow strips of fabric
and they were used to wrap around chin, neck and
head. Due to the lack of method when the textiles
were excavated in the mid-20th century, only a
few of the pieces can now be linked to a specific
grave. Non of the extant samples in the collection
have intact endings, the actual length of the pieces
is therefore unknown.
Some of the pieces are plain whites, others have
colourful stripes woven into them at the endings
varying from many rows of multicoloured stripes to
just a few stripes of a single colour. The width of the
pieces various from 10 to 15 cm, some wider than
20 cm has been folded along the length of the fabric
1 Manuel Gomez-Moreno: El Panteón Real de
las Huelgas de Burgos. Madrid, 1946, Concha Herrero
Carretero: Museo de Telas Medievales. Monasterio de
Santa María la Real de Huelgas. Madrid, 1988, Concha
Herrero Carretero: El Museo de Telas Medievales de
Santa María la Real de Huelgas. Colecciones textiles de
Patrimonio Nacional. In: Vestduras Ricas, Madrid, 2005.
In september 2006 the textiles were examined by Concha
Herrero Carretero, Patrimonio National, Marianne Vedeler,
Oldsakssamlingen, Oslo and Camilla Luise Dahl, The
Medieval Centre for The Medieval Centre, Nykøbing,
Denmark.
12
Fig. 1
Inv. No 00653742 in full length. Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler.

Fig. 2
Inv. No 00653742 and
00651983. Photograph:
Concha Herrero Carretero.
to make a double band of half that width. None of
the fragments can be characterized as veils but are
instead various types of head- and chinbands.
All of the examined pieces are made of silk but in
different quality, thickness of thread, density and
tightness. All pieces have various types of ruffled
and pleated edges.
Fig. 1-2
The pieces may overall be grouped as four different
types according to shape and style of the frilled
edges:
Type 1: Long narrow pleats along the selvedges
This type is characterized by rows of long, narrow
pleats formed as part of the fabric. The pleats are
neatly made an very even in appearance. Most have
sharp, folded pleats c. 4-5mm deep. The width of
the selvedges with this type of pleats is c. 1,5 to 2
cm with a midsection of about 10-12 cm.
Type 2: Overall pleated surface of fabric
This type of textiles has the overall appearance of
13
having been pleated in small, sharps pleats (knife
pleats) on the entire width of the fabric and not just
along the selvedges.
Type 3: Sharp pleats on additional bands
This type has additional pleated bands sewn to the
edge of the fabric. These bands are thicker and
more coarse than the fabrics they aresewn to. The
aditional bands are c. 2 cm in width.
The bands are folded in sharp, crisp pleats forming
a zigzag-shaped appearance.
Group 4: Small ruffles
This type has small, rounded ruffles along the
selvedges formed as part of the fabric. In this group
the ruffles are tiny and appears as a narrow edge of
frills. The width of the ruffles edges are no more
than 5-7mm with a midsection of c. 10-12cm.
Some of the fragments of this type have
characteristics of more than one type, for instance
two of the fragments had features of both Type 1
and 3. In some cases it was difficult to determine if
some of the pieces of Type 1 were actually Type 2 as

Fig. 3a-b
Inv. no. 00653745 and Inv.no. 00653753: Photograph:
Concha Herrero Carretero.
14

Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4
(00653745) X (X?) - -
(00653753) - - - -
(00653742) X (X?) X -
(00653737) X X X -
(00651983) X - - -
(00651985) - - - X
(00651982) X - - -
(00651981) - - - X
(00653754) X X - -
(00651970) X X X -
(00651984) X X - -
Table 1
The examined pieces grouped according to type.
some pieces could have traces of
having been entirely pleated and
not just at the edges, although now
in a shape that made it impossible
to see clearly.
Two fragments were small
pieces with coloured stripes and
very fragmented silks, on one
fragment (00653745) the frills
were too fragmented to determine
typewise (possibly Type 1 & 2)
on the other the frills were not
visible (00653753).
Fig. 3
One piece, a headband discovered
from the tomb of Queen Elenor,
was under conservation and could not be examined
during the visite. In all 11 numbers were available
for examination. Another 20 numbers of similar
textiles are in the collection in Patrimonio Real but
was not examined on this visite.
Examples of Type 1
Examples of Type 1 are the numbers 00653745,
00653742, 00653737, 00651983, 00651984
00651982, 00653754 and are by far the most wellrepresented
type among the textiles. (Table I)
The numbers 00653745, 00653742, 00653737
and 00653754 are combined with features from
15
Fig. 4
Inv. No. 00653742. Photograph: Concha Herrero
Carretero.

one or two of the other types. For no 00653745
and 00653742 the combination with Type 2 is
uncertain.
The numbers 00653742 and 00653737 are
combined with both Type 2 and 3. these two textiles
are very similar in style, quality and weave, yet no
00653737 has more decorate stripes.
The numbers 00651982 and 00651983 are not
combined with any other types. The two pieces are
very similar, both with small pierced holes through
16
Fig. 5
Inv. No 00651982.
P h o t o g r a p h :
Concha Herrero
Carretero.
Fig. 6
Inv. no. 00651984.
P h o t o g r a p h :
Marianne Vedeler.
the pleats at the edges. One fragment has three blue
stripes, the other is plain without decoration. Both
these numbers have less difference between the
pleated edges and the midsection than any of the
other pieces.
Fig. 4 , 5, 6.

Examples of Type 2
Examples of Type 2 are the numbers (00653737),
(00653754), (00651970) and (00651984).possibly
the numbers (00653745) and (00653742) have
had a similar structure. possibly this structure is
achievedby various means, in some pieces the overall
Fig. 7c-d
Fragment of Inv.. no. 00653737. Photograph: Concha
Herrero Carretero.
17
Fig. 7a-b
Inv. no. 00653754. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler

Fig. 10
Inv. No 00653737. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler.
18
Fig. 8
Inv. No. 00651984.
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler.
Fig. 9
00653742. Photograph:
Concha Herrero
Carretero.

Fig. 11a-b
Inv. No 00653737. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler &
Concha Herrero Carretero.
pleated surface is clearly due to an aftertreatment –
the fabric being neatly folded into sharp, tiny pleats.
In others the result may have been achieved by the
spinning of the thread, in this case with a high twist
in the yarn resulting in a crepe-like surface. This
feature must have been combined with pleating the
fabric afterwards. Some of the fragments are very
creased and wrinkled and it is difficult to determine
which fragments have had a pleated surface and
which are just creased due to the tightness of the
spinning of the yarn (crepe-effect).
Fig. 7, 8, 9.
Examples of Type 3
Three of the numbers in the examined group had
19
additional pleated bands sewn to the edge, these
are the numbers (00653742), (00653737) and
(00651970). The Type 3 textiles are all combined
with one of the other Types. In all three examined
pieces the additional edges are sewn to pieces with
pleated edges, forming two rows of pleats. All
three pieces also appear to have an overall pleated
surface.
Fig. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
Examples of Type 4
Only two of the examined textiles belonged to
Type 4 , these are the numbers (00651981) and
(00651985).
These two textiles are very different in appearance
but are clearly constructed the same way. No.

20
Fig. 12 a-b
Inv. nr. 00653742.
Photograph: Concha
Herrero Carretero.

Fig. 12c
Inv. no. 00653742. Photograph: Concha Herrero Carretero.
Fig. 13
Inv. no. 00653737. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler.
21

Fig. 14 a-b
Inv. no. 651970. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler.
22

(00651981) has frills alongside one of the edges,
no. (00651985) frills on both selvedges. On no.
(00651981) the frilled edge is red, on (00651985)
the edges are white like the midsection.
Fig. 15-16
The construction of the frilled
edges
All the fragments have different threadcounts in
midsection and at the selvedges. Most with thicker
threads as well as double warp threads. 2 On two
fragments (00651981 & 00651985) the selvedges
are made with thick, double warpthreads and thinner
single warp threads in the midsection creating a
bulky, wavy edge. Fragment 00651981 has frills on
only one of the sides, the other side is woven with
three thick warp thread to form an edge. Fragment
no 00651985 has frills on both selvedges.
Most of the fragments had thicker and more warp
2 See report, textile analysis by Marianne Vedeler.
23
Fig. 15a-b
Inv. No 00651985. Photograph: Concha Herrero
Catterero.
threads at the sides to form the basis for the frilled
edgees whether these were woven or pleated on to
the edge. A few of the pieces, however, had almost
no difference in thread thickness in midsection and
along the edges. This is for instance the case with
the numbers (00651982) and (00651983). 3

Fig. 15 c-d
Inv. no. 00651981. Photograph: Concha Herrero Carretero.
24

Fig. 16 ab
Inv. No 00651985. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler.
25

Fig. 16 c
Inv. no. 00651985. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler.
Fig. 16d
Inv. no. 00651985. Photograph: Marianne Vedeler.
26

Most of the pieces have a crêpe-like structure in
the weave of the midsection caused by a hard spun
thread. The yarns used for the selvedges are less
hard spun. This creates a natural tightness of the
midsection while the selvedges appears wider and
looser. This feature would be even more pronounced
if the woven silks were after treated with for instance
hot water which would leave the hard spun threads
to tighten more than the threads in the sides.
On a few of the fragments there were clear
indications of piercing holes at the edge of the
selvedges. (For instance 00651983) This must be
due to a thread being pulled through the edges
helping to form the pleats and keep them together
much like modern carthridge pleating. It is not clear
if a pleating thread was pulled through the textile
while weaving, in order to keep the edges in place
while weaving it or if this was made solely as an
after treatment, where the fabric would be pulled
together and treated with for example hot water to
fix the pleats permanently.
Fig. 17-18
A group of textiles have additional crimped bands
sewn to the edges of the bands. These additional
edges are made solely by pleating the bands after
weaving and does not need any specific method
of weaving. The pleating isself is a simple zigzagpleats
of folded fabric held together with a thread
pulled through the fabric. In one fragment a piece
of pulling thread could still be seen. (00653737).
Some pieces had no visible signs of piercing holes
but had narrow pleats similar to those with piercing
holes,(e.g. 00653742). This piece had a gauzelike,
crêpe midsection and shiny, smooth and thick
edges. In this fabric a combination of weaving and
after-treatment had taken place. Like most of the
textiles the edges are slightly looser and wider than
the midsection due to the difference in number of
threads and the thread thickness. The tiny sharp
pleats, instead, was formed in the after-treatment.
As the pleats are made with sharp folds and do not
27
appear irregular and uneven in shape; each pleat is
folded with precision of c. 0,4 cm deep.
One fragment with a similar type midsection and
selvedges had traces of a slightly different kind of
after-treatment as the whole surface of the fabric had
an overall impression of being pleated on the width
of the fabric. (00653754). There are no traces of
piercing holes in this fragment which cannot simply
have disappeared, possibly it was made with an even
simpler technique of folding the fabric backwards
and forward on itself, and treated to make the pleats
remain in place.
None on the pieces in the viewed group were made
of linen, but Gomez-Moreno who was leading the
excavation in 1946 mentions a few fragments of
linen made in the same way as the silks. 4 Such
methods are usually just semi-permanent and if
worn often they would require maintenance and repleating
regularly.
Two of the pieces in the examined group have woven
frills with no traces of after-treatment, which may,
however, have taken place on a secondary level,
perhaps while making them. The numbers 00651981
and 00651985 were very different from the other
fragments in the group. These two fragments have
soft, frilled edges that must have been formed as
part of the weaving. The frilled part is formed partly
by the warp threads of the selvedges being thicker
than the threads in the midsection.
Most of the pieces are long narrow bands with frills
along both selvedges. Only one of the examined
pieces had frills on only one selvedge (00651981).
Some of the silk bands must have been worn with
it’s full width wrapped around head and chin, but a
couple of the bands were folded at the middle on the
length of the fabric, forming two rows of frills on
one side of the band. Three numbers clearly had this
feature: 00651982, 00651983 and 00651985, but it
is also possible that more of the textiles have been
worn this way.
The frilled textiles from Burgos clearly share
similarities with contemporary Spanish images
of frilled headwear. 5 Different styles of frilled
3 See report, textile analysis by Marianne Vedeler.
4 Manuel Gomez-Moreno: El Panteón Real de las Huelgas de Burgos. Madrid, 1946, p. 76.
5 Ruth Mathilda Anderson: Pleated Headdresses of Castilla and León, 12 th and 13 th centuries. Notes Hispanic. The
Hispanic Society of America, vol. II, 1942. New York, 1942, pp. 51-80 , Joaquin Yarza Luaces (ed): Vestiduras Ricas. El Monasterio
de las Huelgas y su época 1170-1340. Patrimonio National, Madrid, 2005.

28
Fig. 17 a-b
Inv. no. 00651982.
Photograph: Marianne
Vedeler & Concha Herrero
Carretero.

Fig. 18 a-b
and Inv. no. 00651983.
Photograph: Concha
Herrero Carretero
29

30
Fig. 19
Carved woman’s
head from Burgos
Cathedral, Spain, 13th
century.
The chinband has
an over-all pleated
surface like some of
the preserved bands. A
band with frilled edges
of unknown length
has also been folded
around an understructure
leaving only the
frilled edges visible
which form a zig-zag
pattern.
Fig. 20
Detail of sculpture of a
queen, Burgos Cathedral,
13th century.
The chinband is folded
on the middle lengthwise
so that the frills
along the edges meets
where they frame
the face. The band is
either a band with a
single edge of frills
folded twice around
the chin, or a band
folded lengthwise on
the midle and folded
around the chin once.

headwear can be found in most parts of Europe in
13th and 14th century. 6 Some of which, at least the
early styles of the 13th and early 14th century, may
have been made with the same methods as used for
the frilled headwear from 13th century Burgos.
Fig. 19-20
The exact placement and arrangement of the headwear
in situ is in far most cases no longer known, as this
was not documented during excavation. However,
most of the long, narrow strips of cloth were merely
wrapped around the crown of the head covering the
forehead or around the chin and cheeks framing the
face. Some of the pieces were apparently folded
around an understructure. Gomez-Moreno notes
that there was an understructure (hat) of animal
skin or parchment lined with linen on which the
lengthwise folded frilled band had been wrapped
around several times and pinned on, found in one
of the graves (Queen Eleonor’s) 7 , however, no
such was seen at the visite in Patrimonio Nacional.
A few pins from Queen Eleanor´s grave are now
kept at the Patrimonio Nacional in Madrid. 8 The
characteristic headwear known as Toque/Toca in
13th century Spain would need a tall understructure
on which the long streamers of silk or linen would
be folded around layer after layer leaving only the
frills visible. 9 Much like the appearance of the extant
pieces when folded together (Fig. 18b)
Although the Burgos-textiles appear as to be
more or less the same in regard to style and type,
and the overall method of constructing frilled
edges are basically the same (thicker edges on a
thinner midsection), the chosen samples shows
great variation in details. Technical details such as
colours, thread thickness and thread quality various
31
from piece to piece. The four main types that the
textiles could be grouped into in terms of technical
construction and visual appearance, shows that
many different methods, from simple crimping to
complicated weaves or combinations of the two,
could be used to create textiles with basically the
same look and appearance.
6 A. Gardner: Hair and head-dress 1050-1600. The Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Third Series,
Vol. XIII, 1950. London, 1950, pp. 4-13, E. Grönke & E.Weinlich: Mode aus Modeln. Kruseler- und andre Tonfiguren des 14.
Bis 16. Jahrhunderts aus dem Germanischen National Museum und andren Sammlungen. Verlag des Germanischen Nationalmuseum,
Nürnberg, 1998; A. Liebreich: Der Kruseler im 15. Jahrhundert. Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde.
1. Band der neuen Folge, Jahrgang 1923-1925. p. 218 – 223, C. L. Dahl: Kruseler og Krusedug, Herolden, årg. 9, nr.
2, 2005, pp. 14-19, S. M. Newton, Stella Mary & M. M. Giza: Frilled Edges. Textile History, vol. 14: 2, 1983. The Pasold Research
Fund. Leeds, 1983, pp. 141-152, O. Rady, Ottilie: Der Kruseler. Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde.
1. bd, Neuen Folge, Hft. 5. Jahr. 1923-25, p. 131-136, C. Tilghman: Giovanna Cenami’s Veil: A Neglected Detail. Medieval
Clothing and Textiles, vol. I, 2005. (Eds.) R. Netherton & G. R. Owen-Crocker. Woodbridge, 2005, p. 155-172.
7 Manuel Gomez-Moreno: El Panteón Real de las Huelgas de Burgos. Madrid, 1946, 27-28.
8 Information given by Concha Herrero Carretero.
9 Ruth Mathilda Anderson: Pleated Headdresses of Castilla and León, 12 th and 13 th centuries. Notes Hispanic. The
Hispanic Society of America, vol. II, 1942. New York, 1942, p. 67, Amalia Descalzo: El vestido entre 1170 y 1340 en el Panteón
Real de las Huelgas. In Vestiduras Ricas. Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 2005, 117-118..