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/206



In all probability this orphrey belonged to the back of a chasuble, and, as such, the subjects figured in it would find an appropriate place there; but it ought to be observed that, in reality, it is made up of four portions, the two narrow bands, besides the long and the short lengths of the middle or broad parts which they border. At top we have the Crucifixion, wherein each of our Lord's feet is fastened by its own separate nail. On one side of His head is the sun, on the other the moon; St. Mary and St. John are standing on the ground beside Him; and, at the cross's foot, looks out a head, that of Adam, which, whether from accident or design, has very much the shape of a lion's with a shaggy mane; one of the symbols belonging to our Lord is a lion, in token of the resurrection. Some way down a female, crowned and wimpled, bears in both her hands, which are muffled in a veil, a golden-covered cup,—very likely Mary Magdalen, with her vessel full of costly spikenard for anointing our Saviour's feet against the day of His burying. Opposite to her is St. Michael, spearing Satan, an emblem of the great atonement, as is shown under No. 9182, while describing the Syon Cope. Lower down we have the three women or, as they are sometimes called, Maries, with their sweet spices, and the angel telling them of the uprising of our Redeemer. Lower yet, our Lord's Ascension is represented by showing Him seated in majesty with both His arms outstretched, within an almond-shaped glory. On the second or shorter length, and, as far as the Gospel history is concerned, out of its due place, we behold the Annunciation, and a little under that subject a row of four nimbed and seemingly winged heads, like those of the cherubim, may be symbols of the four evangelists. At each side of these subjects runs a border of gold wrought with lions crowned, and imaginary winged monster-animals separated by graceful floriations; and on one of these borders, at the lower end, is worked this inscription—"Odilia me fecit," in nicely shaped letters. This female name was common in Auvergne, where St. Odilo, the sixth abbot of Cluni, was born, a son of the noble house of Mercœur, and, to our thinking, it is very likely this Odilia was a daughter of one of the lords of that once great family in the South of France.

So worn away is this curious orphrey that often the several subjects figured on in the loom, and not by the needle, can be hardly made out till held in various lights.