Dressing Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn by Unknown artist, National Portrait Gallery

I recently posted about some gowns that Anne Boleyn purchased for herself and the Princess Elizabeth between January and April 1536.

Today I wanted to mention two pairs of detachable sleeves, which have been identified as belonging to Anne as a result of the embroidery depicting honeysuckles and acorns – Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s private motif – that adorn the sleeves.

Honeysuckle has long been a symbol of love and devotion, while an acorn symbolizes fertility, growth and new life. It has also been used as an emblem of luck, prosperity and youthfulness.

Read more about Anne and Henry’s private motif here.

According to Eric Ives, these elaborate and detachable sleeves were an important and expensive part of female costume (Pg. 252).

Anne Stafford wears a black fur-lined gown with turned-back sleeves over a dark kirtle

The Inventory of King Henry VIII lists over 60 ‘sleaves for women’ but two pairs in particular stand out:

‘Item oon paier of sleaues of clothe of gold embraudred with greate trailes of purled golde with honisocles tyed with tenne paier of Aglettes of golde’ and ‘one paier of sleaues of white satten embraudred over with pirled golde Acornes and Honeysocles tied with tenne paier of aglettes of golde.’ (Entry 17034 & 17036, Pg. 421)

These are incredibly luxurious and would have been very expensive. Ives offers and example of Cornelius Hayes, Henry’s goldsmith, charging ‘nearly £5 for the jewelled border for one pair – gold set with ten diamonds and eight pearls’ (Pg. 253).

I love finding out about items that once belonged to Anne Boleyn and will continue to search for more!

Herbert Norris’ Tudor Costume and Fashion is a wonderful resource and includes 960 illustrations! For those serious about learning more about Tudor fashion, I heartily recommend this book.

I will leave you with a very interesting video by Historic Royal Places called Dressing the Lady.