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Early and Late Oberian (1-1590 KR)
Historical Overview:
During this period, Oberon used his influence to build the kingdom from a small
fief with a wooden motte and bailey to a respectable kingdom with serious trade
alliances with the burgeoning Golden Circle realms. It is during this time that
many of the shadow trade routes were forged by Oberon. Amber dominated trade,
which brought spices, perfumes and fabrics such as silk. The rule of Oberon
was marked by strong feudal alliances handled by a powerful monarch. By the
end of this period, Castle Amber had achieved much of its reputed size.
Cultural Overview:
The Oberian Period is a time that bards and troubadours sing modal anthems about
the legendary deeds of Oberon and his older children. Stories of wizards, dragons
and other strange beings abound throughout the literature attributed to this time.
Supposedly Oberon battled against jealous forces of Chaos, forging civilization
out of wilderness. People of this time are said to live 'the old ways'. More than
any other time, the Oberian Period is the Land of Dreams and Imagination.
Fashion Overview:
The tunic was the basic garment. Men wore tunics (sometimes two at a time) over
leggings made of heavy fabric or leather and strapped to the leg. Capes and
cloaks provided additional protection against the weather. Shorter capes were
preferable for those who spent time on horseback. Belts and pouches enabled
the man to carry his weapons, tools and belongings with him. The basic lady's
dress (called a cotehardie) was an elongated tunic. It started out as a somewhat
loose affair, but clung more closely to the figure as time went on. Women frequently
wore an outer dress over the cotehardie. Sleeveless surcoats were fashionable
after the 11th Century. Women who could afford it began to wear underdresses
of fine material called chemises at about the same time. Ladies used long cloaks
with hoods to protect them from the weather. They also wore leather belts and
pouches. Both men's and women's clothing fastened with laces and pins. Women
generally had their hair (and frequently their necks) covered with a wimple.
As the period progressed upper class women devised elaborate rolled and stiffened
headdresses. Men wore very basic hats, frequently brimless. Brimmed and bedecked
hats for men coincided with elaboration in women's headgear. Men's hair was
usually bobbed to chin length for reasons of self-defense. Only unmarried girls
wore their hair loose.
The Regency Period and Erian Amber (1590-1750 KR)
Historical Overview:
During this period Eric assumed the throne in Oberon's absence eventually crowning
himself in 1621 KR. Because of his more tolerant rule, widespread flourishing
of new ideas from shadow came to Amber. Amber shifted from its role as military
superpower to one of 'first among equals'. Some more traditional nobility stirred
in unrest, but a whole host of lesser, but more wealthy, nobles saw opportunity
and a burgeoning middle class grew. Though still tiny by later New Kingdom standards,
it was a significant addition to the economy. The great Guilds evolved slowly
from local fraternities to powerful monopolies, all held according to royal charter.
The later years of the Regency, called the Erian period after Eric's self-crowning,
saw a stifling of the artistic and philosophical growth as Eric became more obsessed
with threats to his reign, and the last century saw reversals in many of the liberties
and advances of the previous years. The Erian period officially ends with the
incursions of Chaos into Amber and the death of Eric in 1750 KR Others count Gerard's
regency for the Crown during the Patternfall War as well, ending the period ten
years later in 1775 KR with the benediction of Random by the Unicorn. However,
as far as fashion goes, this period ends about 1720 KR.
Cultural Overview:
The Regency Period was a time for expansion in all aspects of culture and the
arts. It was also the time when a middle or merchant class became noticeable in
the growing towns. However it was the court of King Eric that was the hub of fashion,
painting, literature and music. The invention of the printing press by Dworkin,
and his printed publication of the Unicorn Mysteries revolutionized the world
of communication. Although music and painting predominantly served the Crown,
these expanded art forms increasingly were used for more secular purposes. Frequently
paintings depicted scenes populated by royal family members of old dressed in
the latest secular fashion. Music was no longer monody alone, but multi-voiced.
This made harmony and counterpoint possible as well as expanded instrumentation.
The polyphonic music of this time matched the soaring architecture, but folk songs
and popular tunes became more widespread.
Fashion Overview:
Clothes became more elaborate in the Regency period, but did not deviate greatly
from the styles of the late Oberian. Expanding trade with the Golden Circle
allowed members of the upper classes to use fabrics like silks and velvets in
their clothing and headgear. Jewels and metallic threads and brocades encrusted
the fabrics of kings and nobles. Women's fashions became somewhat more extreme
with the advent of the "hennin" (a long pointed hat with a flowing veil.) The
style of an overdress with a fitted bodice, tight high waisted belt and long
flowing skirt worn over a full cotehardie and chemise came into being in the
mid-1500s and (with the hennin) is the most remarkable style of this time.
New Kingdom (1750-Present)
Historical Overview:
The historical New Kingdom was a great re-awakening of the mind of Amber. The
significance of this time is the radical shift privatization in all areas of
life. The Guild or House rather than the Crown became the dominant force of
Amber. The Crown experienced a steady decline in its political influence. This
can be partly attributed to Gerard's liberal policies towards the growing merchants
and the trends towards free markets and limited royal interference on trade.
The establishment of MERLOGH was vital in severing the ties between trade and
Crown. Economic growth abounded and kingdoms competed energetically with one
another for trade. Cities were on the increase, and as the population re-asserted
itself after the Black Road War and the Patternfall War, a surplus population
flourished. There were more merchants, artisans, artists and soldiers than ever
before. The infallibility of the Royal Family and the power of the blood of
Amber were challenged on all fronts. Although the renaissance was a Shadow wide
phenomenon, Amber was its center. Grand Houses of noble families patronized
painters, musicians, sculptors and poets as never before with the wealth they
accrued in trade and land rents. Among traditional, poorer nobles, resentment
over Gerard's policies gained ground. The navy was built up to allow increased
security for the trading houses, an expense born by the crown to the delight
of MERLOGH. Correspondingly, merchant houses used foreign mercenary forces for
self-protection, and the national army was left to wither. Random's rule, established
in 1776, has not actively aided the emergence of the merchants and artisans
as a new force, as did Gerard's regency, but it has not hindered them either.
This apathy has angered all parties, and a three way split in Amber politics
has emerged. The six Great Houses and MERLOGH support Gerard. The more traditional
nobility of the north reflects nostalgically on Eric's reign, forgetting Eric's
own policies, which allowed for the burgeoning of the merchants. The knights,
military, and southern nobles around Amber and Garnath still support the crown,
although hesitantly awaiting a strong leadership before full commitment.
Cultural Overview:
The term New Kingdom is synonymous with the resurgence of the arts and learning.
Painting achieved an unprecedented level of skill as painters and sculptors lifted
the visual representation into the realm of three dimensions. Music (like painting)
became more secular, and embraced greater polyphonic complexity and instrumental
texture. Musical notation evolved to accommodate the subtle counterpoint and expanded
tonality of New Kingdom music. The madrigal began to take on a life of its own.
Dances were based in the folk tradition and expressed the color and freedom of
the time. Theater broke out of the mold of the Oberon Passion Play to encompass
romantic, heroic and frequently bawdy themes.
Fashion Overview:
The Amberian fashions of the New Kingdom were a hybrid the Earlier Regency period
and foreign styles from Kashfa, Beregnor, and other shadows. Women wore the
chemise, an underdress of frequently rich material and a heavier overdress with
a tightly fitting bodice and split, high waisted skirt. Ladies' headgear ranged
from coifs, rolls, wimples and hennins with various veils and scarves to simple
flower garlands and ribbon banding. Men wore shirts with flowing sleeves and
rich embroidery under doublets of heavier material. Young Amberite men opted
for the short close doublet fastened to leggings, while their elders adopted
skirted doublets and hose. Pleated thigh-length overgowns called cioppas were
characteristic dress of New Kingdom men. Knee-length gowns opened in the front
and were more popular with the older set. Ladies gowns were similar to the men's
although they were usually full length. Laces attached clothing and sleeves
were often separate from the rest of the garment. Color was everywhere! And
because of the increase of trade, there were more fabulous fabrics from distant
shadows. The most fabulous fashions were (of course) worn by the wealthy, but
that did not stop less affluent Amberites from sporting more revealing and colorful
regalia than that worn by their recent ancestors.
Credit: The pictures are from Sofie's Stitches renaissance fashion website, although the exact artist is unknown.
