First full examination of the medieval livery collar, form, function, and significance. The livery collar had a pervasive presence in late-medieval England. Worn about the neck to denote service to a lord, references to the collar abound in government records, contemporary chronicles and correspondence, and many depictions of the collar can be found in illuminated manuscripts and on church monuments. From the fifteenth century the collar was regarded as a powerful symbol of royal power, the artefact associating the recipient with the king; it also played a significant function in the construction and articulation of political and other group identities during the period. This first book-length study of the livery collar examines its cultural and political significance from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth centuries, in particular between 1450 and 1500, the period associated with the Wars of the Roses. It explores the principal meanings bestowed on the collar, considers the item in its various political contexts, and places the collar within the sphere of medieval identity construction. It also investigates the motives which lay behind its distribution, shedding new light on the nature and understanding of royal power at the time.

About the Author
MATTHEW WARD teaches medieval history at the University of Nottingham.

Reviews
Carefully researched and well-written...Ward has rendered a valuable service to scholars of the late Middle Ages by focusing on one of the more ubiquitous cultural symbols of the age. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *
A revelation for anyone interested in livery collars and what they meant. * THE RICARDIAN *



Book Information
ISBN 9781783276370
Author Matthew J. Ward
Format Paperback
Page Count 264
Imprint The Boydell Press
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Weight(grams) 1g