Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 10. (Budapest, 1991)

TOMPOS Lilla: A dolmányszabás módosulása a 16. századtól a 18. századig

LILLA TOMPOS THE CUT OF DOLMANS, 1500-1800 In his motto "Wo glickh und gunst nit will/Schafft wiz und kunst nit vil". Master Hans Nidermayr-a tailor in Innsbrucksummed up his guiding principle in 1544. Although other works presenting woodcuts of textile patterns from as early as the beginning of the century have survived,

1 Master Nidermayr's book containing patterns and masterworks was the first of its kind in Europe. The detailed instructions of how many ells of silk or wool were needed for the same item of clothing using material of different widths ran to several pages. In addition to the descriptions, he gives a good illustration of the economical way of cutting by laying out the various component pieces on a "strip of fabric". In this way it would immediately become apparent which parts of the costume could not readily be fitted into the strip of material. He also makes suggestions for the most suitable place from which to cut a particular piece.

2 Juan Alcega's patternbook of woodcuts, printed in 1589, also follows the same method. Even the title of his book, Libro de Geometrica Practica y Traça, indicates the growing familiarity with the natural sciences and geometry.

3 Rulers and compasses were generally used to draw the diagrams, since the cuts of the various items of clothing-the robes, coats and skirts-were usually derived from circular figures. In his book Geometrica y Traça (Madrid, 1618), Francisco de la Rocha Burguen presented diagrams using the same method.

4 In an identically-titled book (Madrid, 1640), Martin de Anduxar employs a different method: he marks the pieces of fabric to come off the "strip" with a broken line and draws them folded back (Plate l).

s In his book Le Tailleur Sincère (Paris, 1671), the French tailor Master Le Sieur Benist Boullay draws the pattern with continuous lines, and the fall-away pieces with broken lines, but without folding them back. He also marks the areas most suitable for cutting (Plate 2).

6 There is more in these pattern-books than merely descriptions of materials, clothing and cuts. Legal acts relating to clothing, as well as the rules of the guilds, are mentioned-together with the geographical spread of particular types of clothing. From inventories, travel-books, and series of diagrams it appears that Hungarian costume was well received all over Europe; in addition the study of patternbooks enables us to claim safely that Hungarian dress was produced beyond Hungary's borders. Hungarian dress is shown in the

. Schwabach Pattern-Book,

7 and also in a number of books from Upper Austria. The 1590 Enns Pattern-Book presents a mente in crimson linen and karasia cloth for noblemen, and a purpian or karasia subica for burghers.

8 The late sixteenth-century Leonfeld book describes a karasia mente which came with three different versions for the sleeves. The dolmans were made of