This book should be regarded as a supplement to the book Woven into the Earth: Textiles from Norse Greenland written by Else Ostergard in 2004. The book Medieval Garments Reconstructed/ is a useful practical guide to making Norse period clothing based on actual finds. The original book Woven into the Earth: Textiles from Norse Greenland deals with most of the topics in this book, but in much greater depth, and is essential reading for anyone with an academic interest in the subject. While the subsequent publication does not expand on the earlier book, or meet its standard in terms of background and history, it does serve a utilitarian function by including a practical section detailing how to reconstruct prehistoric and historic clothing, including actual patterns.
The book is divided into three chapters, each written by one of the three authors. The introduction, written by Else Ostergard, conservator at National Museum in Copenhagen, sums up the history of the garments found and their archaeological context. However, this introduction is somewhat thin and anyone seeking to understand the archaeology of these textile finds or the history of Norse Greenland will still need to refer to Woven into the Earth/, which is better illustrated and contains a more comprehensive treatment of the clothing and the relevant background. The primary target audience for this publication must be those who are interested in reconstructions for either research purposes or museum display as well as readers involved in re-enactment, living history demonstrations or even film/theater productions.
The main chapter is written by Anna Nørgaard, a hand-weaver with a great deal of experience in weaving and the reconstruction of archaeological textiles. The chapter contains a very detailed description and practical advice on how to make copies of the fabrics and garments. This section holds much information that is both interesting and useful for a person who is inexperienced in making reconstructions. However, the text might have benefitted from a more thorough editing as the reader easily gets lost in the intricate technical detail.
The chapter begins with a discussion about precisely what to reconstruct. The author claims that a decision first has to be made regarding the intended completed stage for the garment being made. That is, should the final product appear: a) as it was found in the excavation; b) how it looked when it was placed in the burial; or c) how it was when it was new? From an academic point of view this discussion could have been more satisfactory had it been more probing and analytical, and would have benefited from more references having been brought into the discussion.
The discussion seems rather abstract and the rest of the book only deals with the last option, how to reconstruct a garment as new. The book totally lacks information about the first two options, which must be much harder to reconstruct than as new. The more typical, and maybe more interesting, debate at this point would have been regarding the purpose of a reconstruction, and how accurate a reconstruction ought to be, but this is only mentioned briefly. It is pointed out that a garment that was hand-spun and hand-woven on a warp-weighted loom would have been very time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, a project in which a textile or garment is reconstructed generally has to start with a discussion about the purpose for the reconstruction. A scientific reconstruction aiming at studying the prehistoric or historical textile craft, drape of a textile or wear patterns, etc., would require a very accurate reconstruction with, for example, the right type of wool, handspun thread, etc. On the other hand, reconstruction for other purposes might not demand as much accuracy, and perhaps in such cases substitutes might be acceptable. These differences are, however, only touched upon from a financial rather than an academic point of view. The consequences for our general understanding of historical garments are not given enough consideration.
For example, it is mentioned that the choice of wool has a bearing on the resulting textile. A modern user might find that the original type of wool produces a stiff and scratchy feeling, and therefore one might choose to make the textile from a yarn of softer wool. It is rightly pointed out that the drape will not then be the same as in the original (21-22). It would have been of great interest to have a longer discussion on what different choices might do to our perceptions of the final garments. How much do we alter the perception of the original garments by changing different factors? How much of the original costume do we have if we use modern fabric, hand-weave on an upright loom vs. a horizontal treadle loom,etc.? These considerations are mentioned on pages 17-18, but they are not followed up or explored in any depth. For reconstructions made for academic purposes or museum display, a discussion about the impact of such choices, or at least a reference to relevant discussions, would have been helpful.
The last part of the book was written by Lilli Fransen, a pattern constructor, who has made the archaeological garments into real-life, useable patterns. It contains a four page introduction and guides to the patterns. The remaining part of the book is made up of the patterns. All the patterns are accompanied by pictures of the original garments, a newly made reconstruction and some basic information about the original garments. There are also instructions on how to place the pattern (layout) on fabric. There are patterns for nine different garments, as well as six different hoods, two caps and two stockings. These patterns are created from the original garments that are preserved at the National Museum in Copenhagen. In Woven in the Earth there are some basic patterns that a skilled person could use to recreate the costumes from modern fabric. These new patterns, however, provide more variety, and the book has the benefit of being more accessible to a nonacademic audience.
As shown above, this publication is a much lighter summary of the more scholarly work, Woven into the Earth, which remains the book of choice for academic purposes. The main contribution of the new book is its practical aspect, with instructions that are easier to implement and a larger variety of patterns for reconstructing the garments. Its value would have been even greater had the editing been more rigorous, which would have made it easier to read and to follow.
Despite the superficial treatment of more philosophical questions relating to garment reproduction, such as the question of how to make textile reconstructions for different purposes, this book should be regarded as one of the essential introductions to medieval garment construction. As it is based on original and well-preserved garments it has a sound basis, and it is written by leading scholars in the field. Perhaps, though, it should not be considered a beginner's guide to weaving on the upright loom--for that, you definitely need some instruction and experience with a loom of that type! This book will prove especially helpful for people wishing to reconstruct medieval Norse clothing using bought fabric, such as for school projects where reconstructing historical clothing would be a part, and will no doubt be a good resource for museums wishing to add authentic costumes to exhibitions. In short, it is a useful complement to the 2004 book, and contributes new material as a sewer's guide to reproducing authentic Norse garments; as a history or analysis of the issues associated with reproductions, it is somewhat lacking.