Visit at Castle Loevestein

Last weekend, the Saint Thomasguild stayed at Castle Loevestein near Poederooijen in the Netherlands together with the Gelderse Roos. We received a very warm welcome by the caretaker of the castle, which made us feel very much at home. We brought all our medieval replica furniture with us to fill the great hall of the castle. Some pieces of furniture did cause some trouble - my very heavy toolchest for example - when  they had to be lifted up the stairs to the hall. 

 Castle Loevestein in the early morning sun.

 

Opening the door with the key of the castle. I am wearing my new buttoned cloak.

The Gelderse Roos  is ready to defend the castle against tourists that arrive too early... (i.e. before 13:00).

The ladies were busy doing some embroidery or sewing buttonholes for a 14th century dress. We found that sewing while sitting on a stone bench in the wall was much easier to do than in a comfortable chair, due to the better light.

Anne is sitting on the strycsitten next to a savoranola chair. A small triangular stool stands in front

 Heleen Buurman from the Gelderse Roos busy sewing a 14th century dress.

Katinka and her daughter on one of the stone benches.

The men were busy with other important things, such as making merry music and drinking ... 

The dressoir of Loevestein now properly filled with a display of tin plates and glass. 

On either side to Italian early renaissance - like chairs (after a 15th century model) can be seen.

My son discovered that some wine could be found at the dressoir.

 Bram plays some drinking songs on a wooden flute.

 So father so daughter ... In front of her a chest in an 17th century style that has recently been restored by Bram.

 The strycsittens meet merryly in the side chamber of the great hall. 

On the left the strycsitten of loevestein, on the right our strycsitten.

Just the right size! On the right the (open) tool chest of Bram is shown, while at the back an x-chair can be seen.

A small trestle table with a x-chair and a small bench. On the right a part of Marijns tool chest can be seen.

 In the side chamber our two Italian type chairs stand in front of the bed. 

Next to the bed a cradle, a rocking horse and a sedia tenaglia can be seen.

Sitting in front of the fire place on the strycsitten and the savoranola chair, having a rest after a long afternoon talking to visitors. The candles are lit as it has become late. In front, an x-chair an the turned triangular stool are seen.

Bedtime! The candles are blown out ..... which also is the end of this post

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A box full of planes

While this post is not exactly medieval I found it interesting enough to share. During my furniture making course, the teacher mentioned last week that he had some boxes with old wooden planes, which he would like to give a new home. As I am the medieval man working with with old wooden planes he asked if I would like to have them. Of course I said yes, thinking that some of these planes could be used for re-enactment as well.

Two boxes full of wooden planes.

The boxes were full of planes: some hollows and rounds, a lot of moulding planes, some ploughs, a few German type block planes  (large and small with a horn). Some of these planes did bear marks of the maker on the head of the plane. As I did have a book on Dutch planemakers (Four centuries of Dutch plane makers by Gerrit van der Sterre) I looked if I could find them. The most common markings were those of the firm Nooitgedagt (JN under a crown) and Peter Duessing (PD under a crown) which were produced somewhere between the end of the 19th century and the start of the twentieth. Also a few planes did have HW under a crown. This is the mark of Heinrich Wolsing, a plane maker who was the son of a former employee of Peter Duessing. The production of his planes started in 1836 and they are less commonly found. Few other planes did have the mark SVE under a crown at the head of the plane and S. van Embden, Amsterdam at the side. This was a mark of a plane dealer, who resold planes made by others.

The PVD mark under a figure of an angel.

The last mark, PVD under an angel was found on one of a set of three similar planes equipped with a toat. This proved to be a spectacular find! The mark belonged to the Rotterdam plane maker Pieter van Duijl, who together with his brother Gijsbrechtus van Duijl, produced planes between 1755 and 1766. This plane was around  250 years old! The other two planes are very similar in appearance and construction, but do not bear a mark of the maker.

The view of the marked round plane from above. 

The side and sole view of the marked round plane.

The mark on the blade of the marked round plane.

The marked plane is a round, the others are a hollow and a round with a later added fence. I have no idea if the planes are still completely original or if they have been adapted for another role during time. For instance, hollows and rounds could be made later from a plane with a flat sole. And for the unmarked round plane, it looks like the fence was added more recently with some nails to the plane body. As regards to the plane blades, two have a hard to discern mark (a name?). Also the blades could have been replaced somewhere in time. 

  The set of three planes: round with fence (above), hollow (middle) and the marked round (below).

 

The wedges of the three planes. The right one has a different form and patina, perhaps a later replacement?

 The three blade of the planes: marked round (left), hollow (middle) and round with fence (right)..

 Side and sole of the fenced round plane.

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