For anyone else who is frustrated by the lack of Geocities bandwidth assigned to the Meridies Bagatelle Pursuivant page (I find I can only click on a few links before the whole section rolls over and plays dead), here are the various regalia, organized by construction type. (I did this for my own sanity; do double-check any instructions with the official site linked above to maintain authenticity.)
Fiber construction (I favor applique/embroidery over painting, but…):
Download ArgentLancePennons.pdf – Black trigger fabric
Download ArgentLily.pdf
– Embroidered lily on black token sash
Download CompanionateoftheBard.pdf
– Painted design on black token sash
Download CompanionateoftheKingsLancer.pdf
– Painted design on black token sash
Download CompanionateofthePoetLaureate.pdf
– Painted design on black token sash
Download CrownsFavor.pdf
– Appliqued white trigger and black ribbon w/cording
Download LegionoftheBear.pdf
– Painted design on white token sash
Download MeridianMajesty.pdf
– Woven trim, gold black white black gold, ~16" long.
Download SableSword.pdf
– Painted design on black and white pieced token sash
Download ScarletStar.pdf
– Appliqued red star on black token sash
Download SovereignPleasure.pdf
– Woven trim, gold white black white gold, 16" long.
Download VelvetOwl.pdf
– embroidered dark blue velvet pouch
Download WeaponsMaster.pdf
– Painted design on black and white pieced token sash
Leatherwork:
Download ArgentRapier.pdf Leather strap with painted crowns
Download ArgentShield.pdf
Leather strap with painted stars
Metalwork:
No non-Laurel/Award of Arms, though most of the wooden disk ones (minus the Cypress one, which is a natural disk of cypress, and the wooden egg one) could be carved into soapstone as at least line drawings if not full figured.
Wooden disk*:
Download CompanionateoftheMeridianKingsChampion.pdf
Download CompanionateoftheQueensYeoman.pdf
*Can I just say how hokey it looks that we are giving out awards of recognition made of painted wooden disks? I am aware that if you reduce the method of fabrication to the least common denominator, you put the object within reach of more fabricators, but as that logic assures inconsistent mediocrity, it seems the wrong sort of logic to use when contemplating awards. A period solution, such as what was used for umpteen hundred years of coins exists. However, as a design pro, I don’t like the pendant idea for more than just a couple awards, because I can’t SEE them around people’s necks. I see that they have a handful of disks, and must be important, but even if I managed to learn what all these awards are for (and I’m getting there, just in figuring out which ones I can make) it would be hard to tell on the hoof. Okay, sorry, newbie rant over.
Thanks for posting those! Yes; I bet most all of the ones on painted disks. I truly think that when you “dummy down” an art, you lose artisans. I see this as a challenge for us to make them more appetizing to the artisans so that they want to create these for “King and Country”
I agree that the “wooden disk” ones are mainly suggestions and descriptions of the badge in question rather than strict guidelines to be followed. I’m a big fan of metal badges, sewn onto something (a hat, a pouch, etc.) rather than worn as a pendant or hung from a belt. I haven’t seen much pictorial evidence of large numbers of badges worn together. Usually it’s a single badge or medal worn on a hat, sometimes two. Granted, I haven’t done an exhaustive survey on the subject, but it’s certainly not something that is seen on a large scale, at least not during the later centuries that I focus on.
I agree with Lorenzo. Most of the “wooden disks” are used for when the award is first given. The recipient then uses the badge on some other medium. My Meridian Cross is probably the only medal I wear, and it is enamel on metal. The rest I either hang off my belt or just don’t wear. Even some of the awards with spiffier regalia get changed. Often Velvet Owl pouches are done on blue corduroy rather than velvet. And very few people use trigger for the fabric of other awards, preferring something more natural.
And I was a Kingdom Bard and was never given regalia. Of course, I never got a scroll, either.
Nods. IMO we should stitch the wooden disks. You can get spiffy frames from *aargh* That Spiffy Bead place. Lorenzo uses them for his miniatures. — Firemountain Gems. There’s also a pouch that goes with the Rising Swan (I think) — We’ve got the instructions for it over at the Meridian Embroiderer’s Guild Yahoo Group — I’ll try and get them up on the Guild Web page too.
That URL would be
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/Meridian-MEG
Oh, yeah, and if you want them, over a period of time, I think that I downloaded the entire bagatelle site because of aforementioned frustrations!