August the Strong as a furrier
In 1730, Friedrich August I of Saxony , called August the Strong (1670–1733), Elector and Duke of Saxony and in personal union as August II. King of Poland on February 21, at the end of the carnival, invited to a costume party. Images of the costume designs have survived, including August the Strong as a furrier .
General
He delegated the organization of the festival to his son, who later became August III. from Poland . The pairs of guests appeared dressed as members of one of the municipal trades, the assigned professions were drawn by lot in the presence of the cavaliers and their ladies on February 12th. The father dressed as a furrier , in a royal ermine , had chosen his role and his partner, Countess Maria Magdalena Bielinska (1685–1730), married. Countess von Dönhoff, later married. Princess Lubomirska, obviously chosen herself.
What was special about these masquerades, known as the economy, was that the higher classes assumed the role of lower classes if they were given the appropriate topic, i.e. all of them at the same social level. At one of the earlier inns in 1925 August had appeared as a shepherd, but he stood out from the rest of the participants as befits his standing. His shepherd habit consisted not only of valuable fabrics with gemstone embroidery and gemstone trimmings, there was already a little ermine fur on top. The furrier suit, made entirely from the precious hide types ermine and sable , was an ideal representative, outstanding costume for the ruler. It has not yet been determined whether a furrier was involved in the production of the costumes, probably in addition to the court tailor.
August the Strong as a furrier
The prince had previously obtained information from the city about the ranking of the various crafts. Although there was a strict and contested hierarchy at court, he embarrassed those addressed because the citizens did not want to emphasize individual professions above others. However, in order to satisfy the king, the Dresden council established a ranking at its own discretion. The participants were welcomed by a pub sign that showed the king and his companion as a pair of furriers as they greeted the guests.
Court clerk Johann Ulrich Königs honoring the guests (joke poems)
In humorous rhymes of the “Secret Secretair and Court Poet”, each person and the craft they represented was honored. The opening and last mention went to the host, as the fiftieth and actually last to the prince's party companion, Countess Bielinska. The end is addressed once more directly to the prince, with the concerns and wishes of the furriers and the guilds in general.
To the guest, your royal. Maj. Of Prussia.
You world-famous, great guest,
whom you honored this Wirthshauß today,
[…]
The King from Prussia does not step into any trade today,
But the Kirschner (*) can now call him master neighbor.
Furrier, Countess Bielinska.
Of a gracious, affable disposition,
Of a modest and pierced goodness,
Of a quiet manner, but cleared of meaning,
Is our dear furrier today.
Because the furrier chooses her, it does her honor.
It is also appropriate for her, she comes from the trade.
Only does it her first husband very clumsy,
that he goes home irish, and her Beltz not mend.
Furrier, Your Majesty. the king.
Who, instead of the Kürschner-Scheer, leads a double Chur-Schwerdt, who also adorns
his Beltz cap with a
crown, who
already carried an ermine in his cradle,
and, when he needs Beltzwerck, can hunt the animals himself,
he is a sturdy Wolff, a wild bear, a lynx,
a sleepy, lazy badger, and a cunning fox,
who separated and dismembered many a beautiful Beltz,
and flicked many others well;
Who
never misses the right seam in his work,
has chosen the Kürschner stand over others today.
No wonder! that he knows how to get Beltzwerck here.
He's defeated as a master in all of Pohlen .
Another letter has arrived
To the furriers guild common well-being depends,
Because I've been a scribe here from the trade,
I am obliged to read to the head master.
The Pohlen-King, who today wants to be a furrier,
is delighted to submit this letter to all of you.
Most powerful,
the furrier chief initiates,
The whole guild is this time allowed by you
to confess your heartfelt lust and joy,
That you have the privilege of wanting to treat the furriers,
And since splendor, joy and lust
inspire your happy castle, the furrier handicraft is chosen by you over others.
Just as they make you, with things like this,
the senior eldest of their guild, but
their letter of freedom, because it has long
been no longer appropriate and is very riddled with holes ;
As if their humble plea
to see them again through you.
Speak for yourself to whom the pen should
notify you : if you take this graciously, we are full of hope,
also order when you, the oldest, please,
that the craftsman will give us an answer again,
and you scorn in the future the number of masters
will also be included, so your fame will be immortal with us;
So trade will flourish and so will the rights of the craftsmen
who are most humble and loyal to you
Servants.
Furrier habit
In the Dresden State Main Archives there are watercolors with the equipment of the participants, probably created as costume designs. Among them is a depiction of August the Strong as a furrier. The equipment has nothing in common with the actual work clothing of a furrier.
The hat, cape, jacket, trousers and boots are made of ermine, with ermine tails with their black tips on all parts. The muff is made of sable, with which the cape, jacket and boots are also decorated. The elector has a high cap on his head. The open edge, similar to the Saxon electoral hat, is made of ermine, the high, cylinder-like hat stump made of sable, on the left side probably with a gamsbart-like decoration. A longer, collarless ermine jacket is placed over a dark-edged vest or jacket, trimmed with sable all around and on the pocket flaps, with pointed sleeves at the top. The jacket has a slim cut, the front edges are wide apart. A tight-fitting ermine trousers end above the knees, trimmed at the leg ends. Over everything he wears a cloak that extends to about the end of the trouser legs, which just covers the shoulders and leaves the sleeves and front parts completely free. The upper part seems to be made of fabric, followed by four horizontal stripes, alternating between the fur of the trimmings and ermine. The whole cape is also trimmed with sable, apparently held in place by a long ribbon tied at the front of the neck, probably also made of the second type of fur. Even the boots are made of ermine studded with tails. The trimming of the upper edge merges into a narrow central strip that extends to the tip of the shoe. Around the knees the legs are bare, perhaps dressed in silk stockings. The center of the watercolor is the little muff into which the prince has put his hands.
Together with Countess Bielinska, he sat dressed like this on the right of the Prussian king at the front of the long table. The countess was dressed in the same way. It was mentioned that her costume was "richly decorated with diamonds".
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Claudia Schnitzer: Courtly masquerades - function and furnishing of disguise divertissements at German courts of the early modern period . Copyright year 1999, Reprint November 2014, p. 233ff. Last accessed on January 12, 2019.
- ↑ a b c d Claudia Schnitzer, Petra Hölscher: Making a good figure: costume and party at the Dresden court . Verlag der Kunst, Dresden 2000, pp. 225, 234ff. Last accessed on December 29, 2019.
- ↑ Johann Ulrich König: Dreßdnische Fast-Nachts-Lustbarkeiten, consisting in joke and meaning poems about the there, Bey high presence Ihro Königl. Maj. From Prussia, held handicraft tavern . Fol. 10 V -11 I , see Appendix No. 13 (Fig. 237, 238).