Rye Pottery

The Guildsmen & their Wives – The Carpenter’s Wife

Chaucer mentions the specific Guilds in his prologue, and when we first introduced a generic Guildsman and his Wife we realised there was huge scope for us to work with each of the named Guilds allowing us an exciting choice of costume especially for the wives. As it says in the Prologue: They had the capital and revenue,/Besides their wives declared it was their due./And if they did not think so, then they ought;/To be called Madam is a glorious thought.

THE CARPENTER’S WIFE

And so is going to church and being seen

Having your mantle carried like a queen.

The Carpenter’s Wife has a particularly grand, decorated mantle (or cloak), which she clearly felt befitted her status as a Guildsman’s wife.  Her gown, an elegant, soft blue, has a rather fine series of coral buttons down the front of the bodice that id designed to tie in with the ornate clasp on her cloak as well as her headdress.

Click here to see her husband The Carpenter.