Feather tights

", Isenheim Altarpiece, c. 1512–1516 It is believed that this practice arose from medieval liturgical dramas and mystery plays, in which the actors portraying angels wore garments covered with feathers to emphasize their power of flight, Costumed angels also might be introduced for one-off special occasions: at the coronation of Henry VII's queen, Elizabeth of York, in 1487 an angel swinging a large censer was lowered from the roof of Old St Paul's Cathedral, and at the marriage of their son Arthur to Catherine of Aragon in 1501, the archangel Raphael was part of the ceremony, with "goldyn and glyteryng wingis and ffedyrs of many and sundry colours". The feathering might be used as a substitute for other clothing, or under vestments or Saint Michael's armour. Feathered tights are not to be confused with the feathers of the extra pairs of wings traditionally attributed to cherubim and other higher orders of angels, which are often shown pointing downwards covering the legs. Further enhancements to actor's costumes might include expensive real peacock feathers to represent the "eyed" wing feathers of the cherubim; elsewhere whether real or simulated feathers, or a combination, were worn by actors is unclear. The more common and traditional angelic costume of an alb-like robe flowing to the feet was also used in drama, as records show. The depictions may be in wood, stone or alabaster, or glass. Other examples from English churches in painted or stained glass are at Great Malvern Priory, St Nicholas, Blakeney and Cawston, Norfolk, St Peter Hungate in Norwich and the Victoria and Albert Museum (Norwich School), which also has a large painted Nottingham alabaster figure of the Archangel Michael some tall. The rare surviving wall paintings on the crossing-arch at St Mary's Attleborough, Norfolk include two prominent feathered angels. File:Stained glass in the Burrell CollectionDSCF0487 06.JPG|English 15th-century fragment in the Burrell Collection File:St Nicholas Blakeney N window detail222.jpg|St Nicholas, Blakeney File:Angel on the ceiling - geograph.org.uk - 1605821.jpg|St Mary the Virgin, Ewelme File:Holy Thorn Reliquaryrear.jpg|Archangel Michael on the Holy Thorn Reliquary, 1390s File:Stained glass in the Burrell CollectionDSCF0487 07.JPG|Another Burrell Collection fragment ==Mary Magdalene's hair suit==

, c. 1500 A similar depiction of the penitent Mary Magdalene appears in some Southern German works around mostly 1500, but with body hair rather than feathers. The earliest may be in the scene of Mary's last Holy Communion in Lucas Moser's Altar with scenes from the life of the Magdalene in Tiefenbronn, from 1432. Tilman Riemenschneider's carved figure in the Münnerstadt Altar (1490–1492), now the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, is the best known. According to medieval legend the Magdalene had spent a period of repentance as a desert hermit after leaving her life as a prostitute and her life as a follower of Jesus. Her story became conflated in the West with that of Saint Mary of Egypt, a 4th-century prostitute turned hermit, whose clothes wore out and fell off in the desert. In earlier medieval depictions Mary's long hair entirely covers her body and preserves her modesty, but in these her hair is more naturalistic and does not do so. Instead she has a coat of hair somewhat like a dog's, ending rather neatly at the neck, wrists and ankles, suggesting derivation from a theatrical costume, as with the feather suits. The suits, which are mainly consistent in depiction, do not cover her breasts or knees, or sometimes elbows. The bare patches on the knees and elbows probably are meant to have been worn bare by Mary praying on her knees, resting her elbows on a rock ledge, as she is often shown in later paintings of the Penitent Magdalen. The lack of hair on the breasts presumably follows the pattern of body hair typical of mammals and familiar to late medieval Germans from farm animals such as sheep and cattle. , part of the Münnerstadt Altar (1490–1492) Most such images depict the "Ascension" or Elevation of Mary Magdalene, showing the regular visits of angels to Mary's desert home (actually in Provence in the South of France according to the legend) to raise her into the air and feed her heavenly food. In the words of William Caxton's English translation of the Golden Legend: Moser's altar shows the scene of her last Holy Communion after her return to the world and just before her death, as recounted in the Golden Legend: The relief panels on the inside of the shutters of the Münnerstadt Altar show four scenes from the life of Mary Magdalene, with her covered in body hair in the last two, showing her last Communion and burial (these are still in the church). File:Lucas Moser - Magdalene Altar - WGA16288.jpg|Lucas Moser, Magdalene Altar, Tiefenbronn, 1432 (see bottom right scene) File:Linz Schlossmuseum - Maria Magdalena 1.jpg|15th century, wood, from Altschwendt, Austria File:Himmelfahrt der hl Maria Magdalena (Donauschule um 1510).jpg|Danube school, c. 1510 File:Nuremberg chronicles f 108r 3.png|Nuremberg Chronicle, coloured woodcut, 1493 File:Peter Strüb the Younger (Master of Messkirch) - The Elevation of the Magdalene or of St. Mary of Egypt - 82.83 - Minneapolis Institute of Arts.jpg|Peter Strüb the Younger (Master of Messkirch), 16th century, Tempera on panel ==Notes==