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Need help understand asoiaf clothing


fishin4bass

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Well, it's all fairly academic anyway, since as you pointed out, Westeros seems to have access to laquer. With the properties you described, I have no doubt westerners would have used that instead of any kind of Tempera, had it been readily available.

By the way, I edited my post, including a link to a page where it's described the incident that is usually used as proof of lacquerwork's resistance to water and corrosion.

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By the way, I edited my post, including a link to a page where it's described the incident that is usually used as proof of lacquerwork's resistance to water and corrosion.

Very interesting. One can understand then, why it was imported in such quantities towards the late medieval and reneissance period.

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Lacquer is mentioned when Ned goes to talk with Tobho Mott (AGOT, chapter 27). Tobho Mott says that lesser armourers use lacquer, but he can give colour to the metal itself (at least he says lacquer in my language, he could have used other word in the original books).

I have re-read the chapter Tobho Mott says enameled armor, which is mentioned many other times in the books.

However, lacquer is mentioned elsewhere:

A long line of gold-cloaked spearmen held back the crowd, commanded by a stout man in elaborate armor, all black lacquer and gold filigree. His cloak had the metallic shimmer of true cloth-of-gold.

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I have re-read the chapter Tobho Mott says enameled armor, which is mentioned many other times in the books.

Enameled ? :eek: Enameling is covering/filling in holes (cloisonne) with colored glass paste which is then hardened. I don't really see how this could be done so as to not get completely destroyed at the first instance of being hit.

I mean, here's an example of an enameled helmet: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1983.413

It's purely for parade purposes, though, since all those holes would make it of questionable use for protection. One would think the same holds for a piece of plate.

ETA: Am I the only one who thinks Tywin should have had a helmet like this: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/23.141

Edit #2: Aha, I think I got it now. GRRM means the sort of enamel that became popular on cast-iron. That's.....fairly anachronistic. As far as I am aware, those methods weren't discovered until the industrial revolution.

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Enameled ? :eek: Enameling is covering/filling in holes (cloisonne) with colored glass paste which is then hardened. I don't really see how this could be done so as to not get completely destroyed at the first instance of being hit.

I mean, here's an example of an enameled helmet: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1983.413

It's purely for parade purposes, though, since all those holes would make it of questionable use for protection. One would think the same holds for a piece of plate.

ETA: Am I the only one who thinks Tywin should have had a helmet like this: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/23.141

I guess they are using the world "enamel" improperly, and they want to say "varnish" or "lacquer". I have heard people to improperly use the word "enamel" to call any vitreous-looking varnish.

I once posted some images of real-life animal-shaped helmets for the Lannister, the Hound and Victarion, but I can't find the post now.

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