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/390



Most likely woven at Palermo, but no good sample of dyeing, as the colours have evidently changed; what is now a pinkish purple hue was of a light cheerful crimson tone, and the dark blue pattern must have originally been a warm green.

8277.

Piece of Crimson Silk and Gold Tissue; the pattern, in gold, of conventional ornaments and circles containing birds and animals; the border consists of a repetition of a wyvern, an eagle displayed, and an elephant and castle. Italian, early 14th century. 11 inches by 4 inches.

This fine costly specimen of old silken stuff cannot fail in drawing to itself a particular attention from the heedful observer, by its gracefully elaborate design, so well carried out and done in such rich materials, but more especially by the symbols figured on it.

Though now unable to read or understand the meaning of all those emblematic hints so indistinctly uttered in its curious border, made up, as it is, of a wyvern, a stork embowed and statant on an elephant and castle, and a displayed eagle, we hopefully think that, at no far-off day, the key to it all will be found; then, perhaps, the piece before us, and many other such textiles in this very collection, may turn out to be no little help to some future writer while unravelling several entanglements in mediæval history.

Not for a single moment can we admit that through these heraldic beasts and birds the slightest reference was intended to be made to the four elements; heaven or the air, earth or its productions, fire and water, were quite otherwise symbolized by artists during the middle ages, as we may see in the nielli on a super-altar described and figured in the "Church of Our Fathers," t. i. p. 257.

8278.

A sindon or kind of Frontal, of Crimson Silk, on a linen or canvas lining, embroidered in silk and silver thread, with a large figure of our Lord dead, two standing angels, and, at each of its four corners, a half-length