Pirates Ottoman Empire

[Duchess]

Several of us went off on a tanget about costuming apporpriate to Ottoman empire, Barbary Coast and generally middle eastern pirates.

Lets move from tanget to full fledged thread.

I'm going to copy and paste the pertinent information from the other thread so no body need repeat themselves.

Duchess

I'm actually working on a period appropriate Turkish (well Ottoman I suppose) costume. I was discussing several months ago how I've no real interest in dressing GaoP correctly as a woman and making me look like a man is bit difficult. So I started investigating other regional options. If any one as any suggestions about this style of costuming I'm open...

Michaelsbagly

And Duchess, I would love to see Barbary Corsairs (middle eastern and northern african pirates)! In fact I had a conversation with someone earlier this summer, I even told them if I had time to do the research and make a set of clothing, I would do a barbary corsair outfit for next summer. If you come across any good references, please share, and I will do likewise.

Also as a starting place for Barbary Corsairs

The Wikipedia entry for Barbay Corsairs

It seems the Barbary Corsairs had three "hey-days", the first was in the early to mid 1500s (under the Barbarossa brothers), the second was in the early 1600s, with a last resurgence in the late 1700's to early 1800s. So there are three primary time frames to work with, and probably others to choose from as well.

[michaelsbagley]

It's not a primary source, but some searching on the web found me this little nugget...

Published in 1890 about the Barbary Corsairs of the end of the 15th century...

The Barbary Corsairs - by: Stanley Lane-Poole

Another source (published in 1912) that would be a secondary or tertiary source, but still likely intersting is...

The Barbary Rovers - By: John Finnemore

A decent looking web article on the BBC web site regarding the Barbary Corsairs.

British Slaves on the Barbary Coast

I will edit and apend this post as I find more stuff rather than making a whole bunch of posts.

[Duchess]

Here is a wiki article on clothing, some of the references for it might be worth looking into...

Wiki

[Duchess]

Nearly all the references I've to ladies garments talk about an entari, antari or similar spellings...

I acquired this pattern a while back...

Folkwear Pattern #108

And am in the process of making a couple of long entaris. The first is complete in royal blue silk. The second is the outer one and is about half done, it is a cream brocade with elephants.

I'll see about some pictures this week.

[Abrams]

Just gonna say, I'm interested in this, too!

A picture of Oruc Reis, aka Redbeard:

Circa 1800 Image of Ottoman corsairs of one of the Barbary Wars:

An image of Hayreddin Pasha:

[LadyBarbossa]

I've an interest in this as well. Hoping to get at least one member - now or eventually - that looks like a Corsair from the Barbary or even from the Mediterrainean. As well as India and other areas of the Orient.. Russia, etc. Trying to encourage another to wear his kilt. :)

The corsairs and other raiders and pirates around the world are always overshadowed by Europeans.

Keep the info coming, mates!

~Lady B

[Rumba Rue]

This is facsinating, thank you all!

[Commodore Swab]

I've an interest in this as well. Hoping to get at least one member - now or eventually - that looks like a Corsair from the Barbary or even from the Mediterrainean. As well as India and other areas of the Orient.. Russia, etc. Trying to encourage another to wear his kilt. :)

The corsairs and other raiders and pirates around the world are always overshadowed by Europeans.

Keep the info coming, mates!

~Lady B

I may be your man, along with my wife who is Thai. Any help other could offer in our desire to put together a PC an outfit would be of great assistance.

[Sjöröveren]

I just stumbled upon this site at UCLA, with 9 volumes from 1720-30 called "The Ceremonies and Religious Customs of All the Peoples of the World." Volume 7 is all about Islamic customs, and has numerous illustrations.

[Duchess]

Nearly all the references I've to ladies garments talk about an entari, antari or similar spellings...

I acquired this pattern a while back...

Folkwear Pattern #108

And am in the process of making a couple of long entaris. The first is complete in royal blue silk. The second is the outer one and is about half done, it is a cream brocade with elephants.

I'll see about some pictures this week.

I think it safe to say I've done absolutely nothing on this project since I posted this... Still glad to see the topic resurrected!

[Ransom]

I'd though about doing something other than English pyrate for a while now, since GAoP reenactors are so English-centric. I like the idea of a Barbary or Persian persona. I just wonder how hard that would be to pull off with red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin? I look about as Persian as a frog looks like a prince. LOL

[blackjohn]

Duchess, you may be interested in this, while not quite Ottoman Empire, my friends who are putting on this event do a Janissary impression sometimes.

http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/konotop_1659.htm

I was going to do this event until, but moved it from a weekend that worked for me to one that didn't.

[Jib]

I love how the Middle Easterners decorated thier muskets!

[Commodore Swab]

I love how the Middle Easterners decorated thier muskets!

And why not, a gun is something valuable even more so then then it is now. Not something you would want to simply abandone on a deck.

[Commodore Swab]

As an update I have a friend working on some clothes for me that should be Europeanbut with an Asian flair. This year at PiP I will be a Portuguese sailor turned pirate in India. We sailed throughout Aisa where I met my wife (still working on her clothes but I have some ideas from old artwork photographed in Bangkok) and married so she will be a combination of Thai/Chinese. Here is a picture as an example . . .

I will be wearing clothes that were made using their fabrics but made to my preference so they will look PC but since I was sailing in the Orient I used the fabric available. We then sailed from Aisa to Central America where we were given the oppurtunity of an English Pardon but chose to sail on until we could get a Spanish pardon.

I am basing my character on actual events which led to the creation of the character known as Long John Silver

[Sebastien Auguste Benoit]

I'd though about doing something other than English pyrate for a while now, since GAoP reenactors are so English-centric. I like the idea of a Barbary or Persian persona. I just wonder how hard that would be to pull off with red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin? I look about as Persian as a frog looks like a prince. LOL

You could be the offspring of a Barbary corsair and a captured European slave. Historically, not uncommon.

[Duchess]

Good news! This weekend I finally made a big push to finish my ottoman empire costume. The local renaissance festival was having a Silk Road themed weekend and dadgum I wanted to be thematic. So I did. Sadly there aren't any great pictures but I'll see what I can do.

And yes it has been nearly four years to the day from when I started this project.

[Duchess]

There are still a few things that I'd like to add on or properly complete:

• Line the sleeves. There should be a draped lining from the sleeves, but I didn't have time (in four years. Ha.) or a suitable material.
  
• Add a trim of some variety to the edges of the entari. I'm not sure which direction to go on this one.
  
• As an astute viewer at the fair, a self proclaimed scholar of the Ottoman Empire, pointed out I should probably have some feathers from the turban. But I think I'll leave this out. As it is the thing tops 6'4" which was nearly unmanageable in some of the booths and areas.
  
• Replace the veil with something in silk, perhaps to match the sleeve drapes.
  

[Mission]

You don't look like a footstool.

Very cool. That looks more like re-enactment quality than Ren-Faire quality.

[Duchess]

Thanks... I think...

That was the attempt anyway...