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/368



the ornamentation, the embroidery must be about the middle of the 13th century, and is of that general character which hinders national identification, though there can be no doubt it must have been wrought by some hand in Western Europe.

8238.

Three Pieces of Silk, discoloured to dull olive, diapered with a closely foliated pattern. Sicilian, 13th century. Respectively 6 inches by 4 inches, 4-1/2 inches by 4 inches, and 6 inches by 3 inches.

The design of the pattern is very elaborate and worthy of attention for the tasteful way in which it is arranged.

8238A.

Piece of Silk, with lilac pattern, enclosing grotesque animals. Sicilian, 13th century. 3-3/4 inches by 1-3/4 inches.

There is no reason for assuming that this piece of woven stuff formed the orphrey of a stole or any other liturgical ornament. It is, however, a fine specimen in its kind, and is one of the very many proofs to be found among the textiles and embroideries in the Museum, of the influence exercised by heraldry upon the looms of Western Europe. The beasts and birds are evidently heraldic, and are heraldically placed, especially the beasts, which are statant regardant.

8239.

Maniple in Crimson Silk, embroidered in colours and gold with emblematical animals. The ends contain within circles, one the lion, symbolical of Christ, the other the initial M, but of much later work. The silk, Oriental; the embroidery, German, early 14th century. 3 feet 8 inches by 7 inches.

This valuable specimen of mediæval church-embroidery is very curious, inasmuch as it contains three distinct periods of work; the