Pattens and Overshoes from the 14th and 15th Centuries

	Pattens
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Pattens are protective overshoes, generally made of a leather or wooden sole held in place with leather or cloth straps. For project blogs and instructions on making pattens, see Across the Ages, TheMedievalNun, Katafalk, and St. Thomas Guild. EXTANT EXAMPLES 14th and 15th century pattens from Elbląg in Poland, from the collection of the Muzeum Archeologiczno-Historyczne w Elblągu. Pattens and partial pattens at the Museum of London from the 14th and 15th centuries: SYM88[16]<68>, 60.179/68, 60.179/69, 60.179/70, 60.179/71, 60.179/72, 60.179/73, 80.91/1, 80.90/4, 80.91/2, 80.91/3, 80.91/4, 92.128, A3120, A3121, A3591, 4574, 4575, 4576, 4577, 4578, 4579, 4580, 4581, 4582, 4583, 4584, 4585, 4586, 4588, 4686, 4688, 4689, 4693, 11114, 12986a, 12986c, 13023, 13024, 15474a, 15475, 15476, 15477, 15478, 15479, 15483, 19085, 21373, 21374, 21375, 22257, 22258, 22298, 22299, 22300, A25206, Late medieval pattens from Lüneburg, Germany A patten from Regensburg, 14th-15th century Pattens from the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, 15th century Different styles of 15th century pattens at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Patten (GNM T 41), 15th century Patten from Leiden (Bojimans F 5762 (KN&V)), 15th century A patten from the second half of the 15th century PATTENS IN ARTWORK Barley soup, Tacuinum Sanitatis (ÖNB Codex Vindobonensis, series nova 2644, fol. 44), c. 1370-1400 Bay laurel, Tacuinum Sanitatis (BNF Latin 9333, fol. 15), 15th century Tacuinum Sanitatis, 15th century (BNF Nouvelle acquisition latine 1673): Conversation (fol. 90); Difficulties with Sleep (fol. 90v) St. Joseph, in the right wing of the Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, 1427 Fols. 27r, 204r, and 116r in the Decameron (BNF Arsenal 5070), 1432 Circumcision of Christ by Jacques Daret, 1434 The woman at the far right wears red pattens over black shoes. Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife by Jan van Eyck, 1434 Both Giovanni and Giovanna have taken off their pattens -- they're indoors, after all. His wooden pattens are better visible in this detail, and hers, slightly more elegant and covered with red leather (or cloth?) are easier to find in this detail. The Hours of Catherine of Cleves, c. 1440: The Queen of Sheba fording the Stream of Cedron (fol. 109) and the Holy Family at supper (fol. 151), The Hours of Catherine of Cleves (PML M.917), c. 1440 The Bladelin Triptych by Rogier van der Weyden, 1445-1450 A donor (figure dressed in black in the central panel) is wearing pattens under his shoes. Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Stefan Lochner, 1447 Most of the boys in the foreground seem to be wearing pattens. Portrait of a Donor by Petrus Christus, c. 1450 St. Columba Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, 1455 A figure dressed in red, standing in the left side of the center panel, wears pattens under his shoes. A pair of lovers on a grassy bench, c. 1460-1465 Detail from the Annunciation from the Maria am Gestade altarpiece in Vienna, c. 1460-1470; interesting decoration on the upper surface Herald in the Konzil von Konstanz (ÖNB 3044, fol. 91v), c. 1465-1475 Detail from The Sermon of John Capistrano, c. 1465-1475 The Circumcision of Christ by Friedrich Herlin, 1466 Donor from Ecce Homo by Friedrich Herlin, 1468 The Birth of Mary by the Master of the Life of the Virgin, 1470 There is a pair of pattens on the floor by the linen-chest. At least one of the serving-women wears pattens and pointy shoes, if you look really hard at this detail. St. Joseph in The Holy Family from an altarpiece at Passau, c. 1475-1485 Detail from The Adoration of the Shepherds on the Portinari Triptych by Hugo van der Goes, 1476-1479 Envy in The Seven Deadly Sins by Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1480 Joseph (at right) in Adoration of the Magi by Geertgen tot Sint Jans The First Foolish Virgin, The Fifth Foolish Virgin; The Second Wise Virgin, The Fifth Wise Virgin; all by Martin Schongauer, before 1483 Vanity by Hans Memling, 1485 Retable of the Virgin of Montserrat by Bartolomé Bermejo, c. 1485 Kuntz Franck makes pattens, Mendel Hausbuch (Amb. 317.2, fol. 106v), 1489 Detail of St. Vigilius by Hans Klocker, c. 1490-1495 Detail from St. Valentine healing the blind on an altarpiece at Villnöß, c. 1495-1505 Detail of Augustus and the Sybil of Tiber, c. 1495-1505 January in the Grimani Breviary, c. 1490-1510 Small altarpiece with Joseph and Mary, c. 1491-1500 Archery Festival, 1493 A jester (the one in red and black particolored garments) wears long pointed pattens; they seem to have been made to go on backwards (note placement of the straps) for a comedic effect. The Bellows-Repairer by Hieronymus Bosch Detail from The Nativity in the altarpiece at Grafenegg, 1503 January (fol. 2v) and June (fol. 7v) in the Da Costa Hours (PML M.399), 1515 Two shepherds, early 16th century

Pattens

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Material Culture in London in an Age of Transititon: Tudor and Stuart Period Finds c. 1450-c. 1700 from Excavations at Riverside Sites in Southwark

Pattens are protective overshoes, generally made of a leather or wooden sole held in place with leather or cloth straps.

For project blogs and instructions on making pattens, see Across the Ages, TheMedievalNun, Katafalk, and St. Thomas Guild.

EXTANT EXAMPLES

14th and 15th century pattens from Elbląg in Poland, from the collection of the Muzeum Archeologiczno-Historyczne w Elblągu.
Pattens and partial pattens at the Museum of London from the 14th and 15th centuries: SYM88[16]<68>, 60.179/68, 60.179/69, 60.179/70, 60.179/71, 60.179/72, 60.179/73, 80.91/1, 80.90/4, 80.91/2, 80.91/3, 80.91/4, 92.128, A3120, A3121, A3591, 4574, 4575, 4576, 4577, 4578, 4579, 4580, 4581, 4582, 4583, 4584, 4585, 4586, 4588, 4686, 4688, 4689, 4693, 11114, 12986a, 12986c, 13023, 13024, 15474a, 15475, 15476, 15477, 15478, 15479, 15483, 19085, 21373, 21374, 21375, 22257, 22258, 22298, 22299, 22300, A25206,
Late medieval pattens from Lüneburg, Germany
A patten from Regensburg, 14th-15th century
Pattens from the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, 15th century
Different styles of 15th century pattens at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Patten (GNM T 41), 15th century
Patten from Leiden (Bojimans F 5762 (KN&V)), 15th century
A patten from the second half of the 15th century

PATTENS IN ARTWORK

Barley soup, Tacuinum Sanitatis (ÖNB Codex Vindobonensis, series nova 2644, fol. 44), c. 1370-1400
Bay laurel, Tacuinum Sanitatis (BNF Latin 9333, fol. 15), 15th century
Tacuinum Sanitatis, 15th century (BNF Nouvelle acquisition latine 1673): Conversation (fol. 90); Difficulties with Sleep (fol. 90v)
St. Joseph, in the right wing of the Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, 1427
Fols. 27r, 204r, and 116r in the Decameron (BNF Arsenal 5070), 1432
Circumcision of Christ by Jacques Daret, 1434
The woman at the far right wears red pattens over black shoes.
Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife by Jan van Eyck, 1434
Both Giovanni and Giovanna have taken off their pattens -- they're indoors, after all. His wooden pattens are better visible in this detail, and hers, slightly more elegant and covered with red leather (or cloth?) are easier to find in this detail.
The Hours of Catherine of Cleves, c. 1440: The Queen of Sheba fording the Stream of Cedron (fol. 109) and the Holy Family at supper (fol. 151), The Hours of Catherine of Cleves (PML M.917), c. 1440
The Bladelin Triptych by Rogier van der Weyden, 1445-1450
A donor (figure dressed in black in the central panel) is wearing pattens under his shoes.
Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Stefan Lochner, 1447
Most of the boys in the foreground seem to be wearing pattens.
Portrait of a Donor by Petrus Christus, c. 1450
St. Columba Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, 1455
A figure dressed in red, standing in the left side of the center panel, wears pattens under his shoes.
A pair of lovers on a grassy bench, c. 1460-1465
Detail from the Annunciation from the Maria am Gestade altarpiece in Vienna, c. 1460-1470; interesting decoration on the upper surface
Herald in the Konzil von Konstanz (ÖNB 3044, fol. 91v), c. 1465-1475
Detail from The Sermon of John Capistrano, c. 1465-1475
The Circumcision of Christ by Friedrich Herlin, 1466
Donor from Ecce Homo by Friedrich Herlin, 1468
The Birth of Mary by the Master of the Life of the Virgin, 1470
There is a pair of pattens on the floor by the linen-chest. At least one of the serving-women wears pattens and pointy shoes, if you look really hard at this detail.
St. Joseph in The Holy Family from an altarpiece at Passau, c. 1475-1485
Detail from The Adoration of the Shepherds on the Portinari Triptych by Hugo van der Goes, 1476-1479
Envy in The Seven Deadly Sins by Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1480
Joseph (at right) in Adoration of the Magi by Geertgen tot Sint Jans
The First Foolish Virgin, The Fifth Foolish Virgin; The Second Wise Virgin, The Fifth Wise Virgin; all by Martin Schongauer, before 1483
Vanity by Hans Memling, 1485
Retable of the Virgin of Montserrat by Bartolomé Bermejo, c. 1485
Kuntz Franck makes pattens, Mendel Hausbuch (Amb. 317.2, fol. 106v), 1489
Detail of St. Vigilius by Hans Klocker, c. 1490-1495
Detail from St. Valentine healing the blind on an altarpiece at Villnöß, c. 1495-1505
Detail of Augustus and the Sybil of Tiber, c. 1495-1505
January in the Grimani Breviary, c. 1490-1510
Small altarpiece with Joseph and Mary, c. 1491-1500
Archery Festival, 1493
A jester (the one in red and black particolored garments) wears long pointed pattens; they seem to have been made to go on backwards (note placement of the straps) for a comedic effect.
The Bellows-Repairer by Hieronymus Bosch
Detail from The Nativity in the altarpiece at Grafenegg, 1503
January (fol. 2v) and June (fol. 7v) in the Da Costa Hours (PML M.399), 1515
Two shepherds, early 16th century