ER, MINE

So, Janice tells me there are plenty of ermine round here, and that she received an ermine pelt as a present not long after she first arrived in Dawson.


A miniature portrait by Henry Hawkins from the late 1800's
of a Miss Vokis wearing a black dress, cameo at her corsage, ermine stole and a spaniel in her lap (peering up at her not unlike Elizabeth's ermine).

A captivating description of an ermine stole from the Powerhouse Museum Collection in Australia (of all places for an ermine to live -or be dead) (an aside: you can actually search for "Day Dresses" in their collection database!) Unfortunately no picture is associated with this record:

H6330
Ermine stole with white satin lining decorated with hand painting of forget-me-not flowers, 1920.

The ermine stole has historically been worn by both women and men (like the live Pantalaimon) ...in the middle ages it was with surcoats -those long overcoats without sleeves that HRH still dons for certain occassions.
Capes and mufflers similar to those in this drawing of 1844 female French costume followed, and of course it was a favorite for encircling crowns (Imperial Margarine) and gowns - -lay, liturgical and royal.

Pope Benedict was recently asked by an Italian animal rights group to stop wearing ermine and other animal fur - "it would be a praiseworthy example of Christian charity".