Instructions
You are a highly sought-after designer and artisan in the court of a medieval Welsh prince. Your reputation for blending practicality with the whimsical spirit of the ancient tales has reached the ears of a noble lady. She has commissioned you to create a signature garment for a prominent figure from the Mabinogion, fit for both courtly life and the wild Welsh landscape. Your task is to conceptualise, justify, and sketch this unique piece of apparel.
Part 1: The Commission
First, you must understand your client. Choose one of the following figures from the Mabinogion to be the recipient of your bespoke creation. Then, determine the primary purpose of the garment.
Choose your muse:
- Rhiannon: A mysterious, otherworldly woman of great intelligence and authority, associated with horses.
- Blodeuwedd: A woman magically created from flowers, beautiful but fated for a tragic transformation into an owl.
- Culhwch: A noble hero on an impossible quest, cousin to King Arthur, whose journey involves the wild hunt.
- Pwyll: Prince of Dyfed, a lord who experiences the supernatural and must balance his duties as a ruler and a huntsman.
Chosen Figure: ____________________________________________________
Primary Purpose of the Garment (e.g., a riding habit for the hunt, a gown for a feast, a ceremonial cloak): ____________________________________________________
Part 2: Design Considerations
Before putting charcoal to parchment, you must consider the practical and fantastical elements of your design. Answer the following questions to guide your creative process.
Materials & Textiles
What fabrics will you employ? Consider the Welsh climate, the wearer's status, and the garment's function. Think of wool, linen, velvet, leather, or perhaps silk for the highest nobility. Justify your choices.
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Construction & Function
How will the garment be constructed to suit its purpose? If it is a riding habit, how does it allow for movement? If it is for falconry, is the shoulder or arm reinforced with leather? Describe the key structural features.
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Embroidery & Embellishment
The soul of the garment lies in its details. What stories will you tell with your needle? Describe the embroidered motifs you will use, drawing inspiration from your chosen character's story in the Mabinogion (e.g., golden birds for Rhiannon, oak leaves and meadowsweet for Blodeuwedd, a charging boar for Culhwch). Where on the garment will this embroidery be placed for the greatest effect?
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Part 3: Design Sketch & Annotation
In the space below, sketch your final design. Annotate your drawing to highlight key features, indicating specific materials, embroidery patterns, and unique functional elements discussed in Part 2.
Part 4: Designer's Statement
In a short paragraph, present your creation. Summarise your design choices, explaining how the garment reflects the identity of your chosen character from the Mabinogion while meeting the practical demands of medieval Welsh noble life.
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Answer Key & Scoring Rubric
For the Educator's Eyes Only
A Guide for the Judicious Assessment of a Young Designer's Endeavours
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young mind in possession of a creative task must be in want of fair and discerning assessment. The following rubric, composed with a mind to the standards of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) v9, is offered as a means by which to judge the merit of the student’s work. A creative response does not possess a singular correct answer; rather, its quality is to be found in the depth of its reasoning, the ingenuity of its conception, and the clarity of its expression.
Curriculum Alignment (ACARA v9): This task relates to the inquiry skills within Design and Technologies and Visual Arts for Years 9-10, particularly concerning:
- ACTDEP047: Investigating and selecting materials and technologies to develop designed solutions.
- ACTDEP049: Developing, recording and communicating design ideas using technical and graphical techniques.
- AC9AVA9D01: Developing and refining artistic intentions and ideas to create artworks.
- AC9AVA9C01: Selecting and manipulating materials, technologies and processes to develop and resolve artworks.
| Criterion of Judgement | Of the First Distinction (Excellent) | Of Commendable Merit (Good) | Of a Tolerable Standard (Satisfactory) | Requiring Improvement (Developing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conceptual Understanding & Historical Fidelity | The student, with a sagacity that would not displease a person of the first consequence, has demonstrated a most thorough and penetrating understanding. The design exhibits a faithful adherence to historical and literary particulars, weaving them together with admirable facility. | The student displays a respectable acquaintance with the subject matter. The design is well-considered, with clear connections to the chosen character and era, though perhaps without the finer nuances that mark a truly superior work. | An understanding of the basic commission is evident. The design makes a tolerable attempt to connect to the themes, yet these connections may appear somewhat superficial or wanting in thoughtful justification. | It must be allowed that an attempt has been made, though the execution, alas, falls short. The concepts appear as a confused medley, lacking that pleasing harmony which arises from careful study. |
| Design Innovation & Whimsical Fancy | Here is a flight of fancy so charmingly executed as to capture the very spirit of the Mabinogion. The design is at once original and plausible, displaying a creative ingenuity that is both delightful and entirely suited to the commission. | The design possesses a pleasing degree of creativity. Several elements show original thought, and the 'whimsical' nature of the brief has been addressed with a creditable measure of success. | The student has followed the instructions, but the design itself is more dutiful than dazzling. It relies on conventional ideas and lacks the spark of true invention that the brief encourages. | The imagination, one fears, has not been sufficiently exerted. The design is plain and without fancy, showing little engagement with the more creative possibilities of the task. |
| Technical Communication (Annotations & Statement) | Every stitch and selection of fabric is accounted for with admirable clarity and purpose. The annotations are precise and illuminating, and the designer's statement is composed with an elegance of expression that perfectly conveys the intent. | The design is communicated with competence. The annotations and statement are for the most part clear and provide a good justification for the choices made, suffering only from minor omissions or want of eloquence. | The student’s intentions are generally understood, though the communication lacks precision. Annotations may be sparse, and the statement may repeat information rather than offering a cogent synthesis of ideas. | The communication is, to put it plainly, indistinct. One is left to guess at the student's meaning, for the annotations are vague and the statement provides little by way of coherent explanation. |
| Consideration of Materials & Techniques | The choice of textiles and techniques speaks of a well-informed mind. The student has selected materials not only for their beauty but for their suitability to function, status, and climate, justifying each choice with sound reasoning. | A sensible consideration for materials is evident. The choices are logical and suitably justified, if perhaps lacking the sophisticated layering of meaning and purpose seen in a more accomplished work. | The student has named appropriate materials, but the justification is either weak or absent. The link between fabric, form, and function appears to be an afterthought rather than a guiding principle. | The selection of materials seems arbitrary and ill-suited to the garment's stated purpose. There is little evidence that practical considerations have been allowed to temper the design. |