Author Topic: Painting Albanians 19thC 1805 - 1840s (Read 4847 times)

Shipka · « **on:** April 11, 2015, 11:45:15 AM »

When I first started to embark on my research on Albanian costumes worn by Irregulars, I ran into the usual wargamers dilema of contradictory inormation, I have attempted to track down as many contemporary descriptions and plates as was humanely possible, this was actualy a revelation as typicaly I have seen Albanians painted like Bashi Bazouks in garish colours, however a more restrained and limited palette seems to be the case.

Fez - Scarlet with either blue, yellow or black tassels THE fez can also be white with black tassel

Shirts -predominantly white although I have a print showing a dark green shirt, also a couple showing a pale mint green or very pale blue.

Kilt -Albanians endeavoured to waterproof their kilts by rubbing animal fat/Grease in this meant that more often than pristine white, they took on hues of very pale grey to beige

jacket -Tended to be shades of red or green(moss-parrot) decorated with Gold, silver or Yellow embroidery.There is a description by Byron of brown jackets embroidered in red.

Leggings -Often beige with black decoration, plain black or very dark red

Waistcoats - Crimson, purple-gold or silver embroidery or beige with black decoration

Turbans and Sashes -This is where the gamer can go to town