The Jänker (pronounced yenker, vaguely) is a lovely women’s outer garment from 16th century Germany, and I’m surprised I don’t see more of them about. It’s sort of a coat-cape – a cloak fitted through the shoulders and with slits for the arms, covered by long and often decorated panels which act as a “fake sleeve” to protect the arms at least somewhat. It’s excellent for wearing over outfits with fancy sleeves which might have trouble fitting comfortably in ordinary coat sleeves, but is less clumsy than a cloak. Brigitte reports that it is extremely warm. I did actually buy the heavy black coat wool (from a Rev-War sutler), and the fur collar was removed from a worn-out coat.

I found the Jänker pattern in the book Drei Schnittbucher, which is full of period 16th century German and Austrian original patterns, made for the tailor’s guilds of the time. I’ve made a few pieces from that book so far, and it is fascinating to recreate them.

I did all the embroidery for the coat in wool canvaswork (needlepoint to most people). The front pieces are, again, from Hans Hofer; two different counted strip patterns which I combined into one piece of trim.

The bands on the sleeve panels are based on a Florentine illuminated manuscript of the 15th century – a little early for us, but copies of patterns for artists and embroiderers floated around for centuries. It’s from a copy of the Dialogues of Plato, made by Ficino for Lorenzo di Medici. I found it in the book Medieval Needlepoint by Debby Robinson. The original manuscript is done more in Easter pastels, but I shifted the colors to be bright earth tone versions of them, largely because I’d already made the front trim and I wanted them to match.

The bottom of the sleeve panels are decorated with wool yarn tassels in colors which match the trims.