These links focus on the wide silk belts worn by ladies in the 15th century. I have organized them by color here, to better understand which colors were used. (These are sometimes considered “Burgundian,” but they seem to have been fashionable in France, Flanders, and England too.) In several of the paintings, one can even discern the pattern woven into the silk.

The name at the top of this webpage – “brode harnysed girdilles” – comes from a description of such a belt in the will of one of the 1487 will of one of the women in the Paston family, which describes several from her wardrobe, and how they are to be distributed following her death:

I geue and biqueith to my doughter Mary, to the promocion of her mariage … iij brode girdilles, oone of tawny silke with bokill a[nd] pendaunt, a-nother of purpill with bokyll and pendaunt, and the iijde of purpill damaske with bokell and pendaunt and vj barres of siluer and gilt; and iij brode harnysed girdilles, oone white tisshew, a-nother red tysshewe gold, and the iijde a playne grene coorse; … and a harnysed girdill enameled with rowsclare weying halfe an vnce; … an harnysed girdill of golde of Damaske, with a long pendaunt and a bokill of golde chekkyd, weying j vnce …

Additional descriptions can be found in the garment references in the Paston letters. For additional images, check out the Burgundian Reference Pages.

• The assassination of Quintillus, De casibus (BNF Fr. 232, fol. 276), second quarter of the 15th century
• The wife of Peter Engelbrecht in The Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, 1427
• Portrait of Margareta van Eyck by Jan van Eyck, 1439
• The Magdalene Reading by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1445
• Lady wearing a gauze headdress by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1445
• A woman at the baptism in the Seven Sacraments Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1445-1450
• St. Eligius in his Workshop by Petrus Christus, 1449
• Portrait of a Noblewoman, Probably Isabella of Portugal, mid-15th century
• Silk belt with enamelled buckle and end-plate, Flanders or Burgundy, c. 1450 (also here and here)
• The older girl (donor?) in The Presentation in the Temple by Hans Memling, 1463
• A woman removes her girdle as Pythagoras teaches, Speculum historiale (BNF Fr. 50, fol. 98v), 1463
• Portrait of a woman by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1464
• Caterina di Francesco Tanagli in Last Judgment Triptych by Hans Memling, 1467-1471
• a girdell of blak herneised with siluer gilt and enamelled (Paston, 1482)
• Isabella of Portugal by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1500

• Maria Baroncelli by Hans Memling, c. 1470
• Pride and Humility represented by contrast between ladies’ social behavior (fol. 6r), monks turn away from vices (fol. 13v), St. Paul addressing a group (fol. 13v), the feast of Dives (fol. 16v), The City of God (MMW 10 A 11, fol. 6r), c. 1475-1480
• Diptych with the Virgin and Child and Three Donors, 1486
• oone white tisshew (Paston, 1487)

• A reading woman in the Seven Sacraments Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1445-1450
• St. Eligius in his Workshop by Petrus Christus, 1449
• Girdle (V&A 4278-1857), c. 1450-1500
• Portrait of a lady by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1455
• Portrait of an old woman by Hans Memling, 1470-1475
• Pride and Humility represented by contrast between ladies’ social behavior, The City of God (MMW 10 A 11, fol. 6r), c. 1475-1480
• Barbara van Vlaenderberch in the Triptych of the Family Moreel by Hans Memling, 1484
• my red girdle embroidered (Joan Searlis, 1485)
• Diptych with the Virgin and Child and Three Donors, 1486
• the red girdle (Stephen Cheeseman, 1489)

• Giovanna Cenami in The Arnolfini Wedding, 1434
• A bride and a lady at the baptism in the Seven Sacraments Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1445-1450
• Banquet at the house of William III of Holland, Chronographia (BNF Fr. 9002, fol. 148v), mid-15th century
• A young woman has removed her headdress and seems to be removing her rings as Pythagoras teaches, Speculum historiale (BNF Fr. 50, fol. 98v), 1463
• a-nother red tysshewe gold (Paston, 1487)
• an harnysed girdill of golde of Damaske, with a long pendaunt and a bokill of golde chekkyd, weying j vnce (Paston, 1487)
• my beste girdill whereof the herneys is siluer and gilt and the corse is of damaske goolde (Paston, 1504)

• To Johanna his wife a gown of scarlet furred with ‘le Bies’ and a girdle of silver green color (William Hugham, 1416)
• Isabel of Portugal by Petrus Christus, 1457-1460
• Miracles of Our Lady: The incestuous mother, Speculum historiale (BNF Fr. 50, fol. 249v), 1463
• Disorie Childmelle my best cloak and green girdle (Joan Hert, 1464)
• To my daughters my best girdle with silver mounts that formerly belonged to John Bate my father, also another green girdle, but if my wife be with a son, he shall have the best girdle (Henry Bate, 1478)
• a playne grene coorse (Paston, 1487)

• Lancelot deceived by Brisane, Lancelot du Lac (BNF Fr. 119, fol. 398v), beginning of the 15th century
• my best corse girdill, blewe herneised with siluer and gilt (Paston, 1482)
• The Queen of Sheba (fol. 39v), Virginia (fol. 55v), and Faustine the Young (fol. 84), De mulieribus claris (BNF Fr. 599), 15th-16th century

• Portrait of a lady, c. 1460
• a purpill girdill herneisid with siluer and gilt (Paston, 1482)
• a-nother of purpill with bokyll and pendaunt, and the iijde of purpill damaske with bokell and pendaunt and vj barres of siluer and gilt (Paston, 1487)
• Son Stephen … second girdle of murray colour with silver mounts … Son Peter my best girdle of murray colour with silver mounts (Stephen Cheeseman, 1489)

Since I will also forget this information if I do not write it down, here are a few of the places where one can obtain buckles & tips (or harnyses, to use the Pastons’ terminology):

• Billy & Charlie: Large square strap end (1¼", pewter)
• Bractea, which made the set for this girdle (woven by Gina-B) – Flemish wide belt parts (2 1/8", silver or silver-gilt)
• Gaukler Medieval Wares (not seeing it on his current website, though)
• Raymond’s Quiet Press: Buckle W-47 (1½"?, brass)