The Enchantment of Noble Masculinity : A look at the material enchantment of nobility through the professional uniforms of count Carl Axel Lewenhaupt in fin de siècle Sweden

Abstract: The analytical framework of enchanted objects has mainly been studied in the fields of anthropology and religion, but can equally be applied to fashion and dress. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the material process of enchantment through the fragments of count Carl Axel Lewenhaupt’s professional uniforms from fin de siècle Sweden. It further aims to uncover the myth(s) of noble masculinity by the theoretical perspectives of discipline and white masculinity. The thesis uses object analysis to dissect a Chamberlain uniform’s bicorn hat, a Hussar’s dolman jacket, and a Chamberlain court uniform (type B) and places them in assemblages of enchantment – the micro and macro settings that made the garments become powerful. Through the material splendour, elegance and sensory opulence of the garments, together with their placement in ceremonial, traditional, elevated and mythical environments, they could enchant nobility to symbolically remain dutiful, heroic and close to the King, even as noble power subsided. This thesis proposes a way in which dress may captivate senses even across the distance of history, and furthermore, exposes the process of material enchantment in the making of ideal and heroic masculinity, which is still relevant and alive in contemporary culture.