Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/201

 eagles, and a monster animal having a human head; the narrow bands showing a pretended Arabic inscription. Syrian, 13th century. 13 inches by 2 inches.

So very torn and worn away is this piece that the whole of its elaborate design cannot be made out; but enough is discernible to prove an Asiatic influence. The monster, with the human face staring at us, calls to mind the Nineveh sculptures in the British Museum.

1236.

Silk Damask; ground, crimson silk; pattern, in gold thread, two very large lions, and two pairs, one of very small birds, the other of equally small dragons, and an ornament not unlike a hand looking-glass. Oriental, 14th century. 2 feet 5-1/2 inches by 2 feet 1/2 inch.

A piece of this same stuff is described under No. 7034 in this catalogue; and Dr. Bock, in his useful work, "Geschichte der Liturgischen Gewänder des Mittelalters," t. i. plate iv. has figured it.

1237.

Tissue of Silk; ground, dull reddish deep purple; design, a lozenged diapering. South Italian, 13th century. 6-1/2 inches by 5-1/2 inches.

So thin is this web that we may presume it was meant as a stuff for lining garments of a richer texture.

1238.

Piece of Linen, or the finest byssus of antiquity. Egyptian. 5-1/2 inches by 3 inches.

Whether this very curious example of that rare and fine tissue known in classic times, and later, as byssus, was of mediæval production in Egypt, or found in one of the ancient tombs of that land, would be