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de la Toison d’Or, c. 1450. We have replaced thc barred close-hclmct of thc original with a jousting hełm hcld by a servant. Notę thc Order of the Golden Fleece around thc dukc’s ncck: ritual ceremony and etiąuette reached a peak under Philip’s rcign. Tournaments and jousts were orga-nised by the heralds at arms under extremely complex codcs ofbehaviour. By this timc lanccs and swords uscd for jousting were blunted, but severe injury or death could still rcsult.

Cs: Gentleman of the court Cj: Trumpeter

A gentleman of the Burgundian court holds thc duke’s hełm. He wears a smali badge on his gown

This vicw of the Imperial camp, c.1480, coniirms the de-scriptions of Burgundian camps of this period; but most of them must have been many times morę extensive than is suggested in this trcatment, sheltering 10,000 or morę pcople. This illustration is packed with fascinating detail and repays close study. Notę, on the right, the troops being paid: their salaries are calculated on an ‘exchequer’, a tablc resembling a chess board on which counters were moved. In the foreground we sce the wheeled barriers with gunports, and the interesting gate construction. (Private collection) bearing the arms of Burgundy. Notę his fashionable long poulaines, and the ‘pudding basin’ haircut so popular in court circles at the time. Both hc and thc trumpeter (C3) are dressed all in white, and are takcn from a contemporary painting of a hunting scene showing thc entire Burgundian court dressed in white, from the duke to the servants. It should not be surmised that this was in any way a court livery or uniform: such were the splendours of mcdieval cosfume that at a rulcr’s whim his complete entourage would be provided with dotli to cele-brate sonie occasion. The Bishop of Liege was an important distributor of ceremoniał materiał: in 1435 all the mounted members of his suitę of nobles and bishops wore white, and in 1442 he attended the Emperor’s coronation with 250 horsemen ‘all in gold dotli adorned’.

Platę D: The Jlags of Burgundy Flags in the middle ages were particularly subject to heraldic control and complicated rules existed as to who could carry what type of flag. In 14th century Burgundy the most basie form was thus: chevaliers

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