For any of the few people who care, here are my complete notes from the exhibit. Just sat down and tried to decipher my own handwriting- very dangerous.
Mithril shirt- 4 or 5mm links, European 4-in-1 style. The neckband is loomworked silver-lined beads with applique or couched work embroidery in gold, and small scattered rhinestones.
Eowyn- gold and lapis necklace on display. Her dress is fine white wool, the body cut in three, I think- one front piece and two back. The neckline is scooped and edged with cream and gold floral embroidery. The sleeves are tight to the elbow and then bell, and are lined with cream brocade. The armholes are edged in cream braid. There is criss-crossed cream braid on the sleeves from the upper arm down about three inches- I think it crossed four times. She wears a long girdle that probably fastens at the back. The belt part has floral metalwork rondels maybe an inch wide, and the hanging part of the girdle is embroidered with gold thread. I think the girdle fabric is canvas.
Gandalf- Cream wool cloak, with the neckhole cut back into the body rather than being a simple scoop. A mallorn-leaf clasp. He’s got a quilted vest, quilted in a sort of lozenge/leafy pattern, that laces down to about middle-chest. He seems to be wearing a knee-length cream/white robe underneath, probably the one whose sleeves are visible in the trailer. I’m not sure about the fabric. His loose pants are made of something that looks like textured silk shantung.
Theoden- A long brown silk velvet overtunic with a waist seam at the natural waist, split from the seam down. The splits and hem are edged with gold embroidery. The neckline is a bit cut-away, and he’s wearing a maroon cotton long-sleeved tunic with a high, mandarin collar underneath. It laces up the front, and the neck and collar are heavily decorated with gold, black, and green embroidery. He wears fairly slim black pants.
Aragorn- there’s a really complete description at alleycatscratch. My only additions are that there is a leather tie at the waist of the duster, and his shirt was probably dark gray to begin with, and then was put through hell by the costume people. The nylon ties at the neck are only a bit darker than the shirt.
Legolas- Does anyone know what type of weave was used for the Fellowship cloaks? They’re fascinating close up. The weave is kind of swirly looking. The hoods aren’t cut in two pieces- lining and outer layer- they’re cut as one and then folded over, and there’s no stitching line along the hood’s outer edge. Interesting way to make hoods. As far as I can tell, there are no seams in the body of the cloak. It’s one piece, and at least a half-circle. He wears a silver silk dupioni tunic with a rolled collar and bias-cut sleeves that bell a bit towards the wrists. It fastens with four worked wire clasps that don’t look too hard to make. I’d draw them, but I suck at drawing. His jerkin is in two shades of green leather, and the front and shoulders are tooled or painted with gold/silver paint, in art nouveau designs. He’s got a very heavily tooled belt, and his pants are slim and made of a gray/green cotton velour- I don’t think they’re velveteen, although they feel like it. I think they have to have some stretch. Yes, I did touch them. The security guy wasn’t looking.
Group O’Rohan Refugees- Heavy Celtic/Viking clothes, square cut tabards and t-tunics for the men, and skirts and tunics for the women. Cloaks for all, in a pretty basic pattern. Very dark colours- grays and browns, with leather braid and tartans. Wool, linen, and heavy cottons.
Saruman- Outer robe and inner robe, definitely. I’m not sure about the pants. The outer robe is sleeveless, in a heavy white/cream cotton, split down the front almost kimono-style, and edged with heavy cream embroidery in geometric patterns. It’s shorter at the front. There’s cream brocade piping running in a V down the shoulders to about waist level that’s continued in the back in a boxed X. Looks like this- lXl, with another V continuing from the bottom of the X. It ends below the waist. The inner robe is linen, with the neck and rolled collar of the same brocade as the piping on the outer robe.It closes with frogs. The long, flared sleeves are of a different brocade in cream, and are turned back slightly to show lining of the original brocade. He also wears a long girdle like Eowyn’s, but made out of something that looks like heavy upholstery trim in very pale grays, browns, and cream.
Wormtongue- A big cloak with wide, gathered, bagged sleeves almost as long at the cloak, and a weird collar of smocked velvet and dull bronze paint. The collar’s huge- it sits high at the back, and then curves down across the shoulders and chest, and ties at mid chest height. Think ladies’ fur stole kind of fit. He’s wearing two long robes underneath, a dull yellowy-orange one with a high smocked collar, and a devore velvet one with a round neck overtop, and trimmed with bronze braid. I gather from picture that the velvet one has tight sleeves, and there are armslits in the cloak sleeves.
Faramir- not avery good viewing distance- couldn’t get close. The doublet looks 17th/16th century to me, and he’s also wearing a beige tunic and travel-stained cloak.
Frodo/Sam- Same exhibit as Faramir, not a good view. Frodo’s coat is herringbone tweed, with mother of pearl buttons, in a rich brown. His waistcoat is almost maroon, at least in the exhibit lights. Sam’s coat is lined in beige cotton.
Arwen- Brown silk velvet dress, loose, but could be bias cut. The cut reminds me of Galadriel’s gowns, which makes sense. Probably only two pieces in the body, with a heavy scoop/cowl collar of self fabric. The sleeves are lighter brown chiffon with silvery embroidery in a leaf pattern, and very belled out.
Elrond- shades of gray outfit. Gray/blue upholstery fabric outer robe, quite heavy, in a diamond pattern. Belled sleeves. The robe collar is in a darker leaf/star patterned fabric. It has a single frogged tie at breastbone height. The underrobe is in a similar colour- my notes don’t say- although I have something that says ‘crinkled brocaded velvet?’ as fabric. The underrobe has a high mandarin collar in heavy gray/silver crinkled gauze. He’s got an elaborate girdle that crosses at least twice before it ties in the front. Makes me think art nouveau meets Japan.
I’m going again on Monday, during the day. I figure it won’t be too crowded, and I’ll be able to sketch (okay, try to sketch) in peace.
