45. Day, May 8, 2018
The last detail on our Cossack, which is still waiting for the painting, is his coat!
Let's take first a close look:
The coat is quite long, rosy pink, has golden tassels on the hems, the fabric has no pattern - and on the collar fur trim can be seen!
In addition, three golden tassels stand out, which seem to hang at the end of tresses, with which the coat is closed.
All this would be enough for a painting - but I'll continue as before and try to find out what a coat that is!
So, again, it's about scouring the surrounding lands, which kept the Zaporozhian Cossacks in constant feud with each other (and often with major clashes).
First, the Ottoman Empire - "Artjom" also carries a kaftan from there.
But:
The coats of the high-ranking Ottomans looked completely different at that time ...:
In particular, they had no buttons and / or tresses on the front, but they were closed at the waist with sashes or belts.
Ottoman soldier coats are also eliminated - completely different cuts!
So let's look over at the "Rus", the newly emerging Russian Empire!
But there too: no indication!
The coats of the local upper class - the boyars - were made of brocade fabric, again had a completely different cut, usually wide fur trim in the shoulder area - and if they had tresses with stretched from the upper chest down to the waist ...:
Soldiers' coats, for example the Strelzy also looked different than our example ...:
Finally, the look goes over to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - and I finally found it!
There was a certain coat that met the conditions and was worn by the local upper class!
This coat was called "Kontusz"!
Note: If you are looking for an item on the Internet, try to get it out, as it is called in the national language. Then first search the object itself!
At least that's what happened to me! When I searched with the name of the coat, I found a lot of role models!
The "Kontusz" had three or four upper chest tresses, which were decorated with tassels, had often fur trim on the collar, was usually monochrome - and quite long!
Such a coat is worn by Artyom!
And the "cherry on the cake" was then the next picture - it is contemporary and dates from the mid-17th century!
It shows exactly the coat our Cossack wears!
I'm pretty sure that Ilya Repin knew this picture - and maybe this original was the template for the uncommonly color!
Clear is the speculation - but not completely ruled out!
I will paint the Kontusz with oil paints, because the heavy material should get nice soft transitions between light and shadow.
But not today, because we have 27 degrees again - and I would like to experience it in the garden ...!
Cheers