[MR] cotton

[Gary Halstead]

Northern Italy was producing cotton (and cotton fabric) on an industrial 
scale by the 15th century (IIRC) and had been importing it for at least 
a century or two before that.  The Italians also supplied large amounts 
of cotton to the south German fustian (linen/cotton blend) industry.  I 
can't speak to its use in clothing since I've been more interested in 
the trade and industrial aspects.

The book on the subject is Mazzaoui's _The Italian Cotton Industry in 
the Later Middle Ages 1100-1600_ (1981).  More easily accessible 
information is in Gies' _Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel_ (1994)and 
Spufford's _Power and Profit: The Merchant in Medieval Europe_ (2003).

Ranulf

Woodrow Jarvis Hill wrote:

>>What someone said in the authenticity thread (I can't remember who since the 
>>thread is so long) implied that cotton was not a period fabric.
>>It prompted me to do a little research.  
> 
> [snipped fine notes on cotton]
> 
>>So, all of my fellow SCAdians who've been wondering about 
>>the authenticity of their cotton garb, relax.  
> 
> 
> My understanding, from having heard/read this sentiment many times, is that the concept 
of cotton not being period is _not_ about cotton not existing. Rather, 
it's about cotton
not being widely available to W. Europe during most of period. Since 
it's been years since
I've done any research into W. European cloth, I cannot speak to the 
truth of that. I know
that various emissaries in late period to Ottoman Turkey, of all types, 
knew about cotton;
goomluks (Ottoman undershirts/chemises) are often description as being 
of cotton, for example.
> 
> Does that make sense, in this context?
> 
> 
> ----asim