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/407



was sent from God, but for an especial purpose, is on his bended knee before the mother of our Lord, while, with his right hand uplifted in the act of blessing according to the Latin rite, he utters the words of his celestial message. The colour, too, of the ground—lilac-blue, emblematic of what is heavenly—must not be overlooked.
 * —the herald's sign—tipped with a fleur-de-lis, to show not only that he

8310.

Fragment of a Vestment for Church use; embroidered in silk and gold, on a dark blue linen ground, with figures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Infant, our Saviour, and St. John. German, 15th century. 3 feet 6 inches by 10 inches.

This fine example of the German needle, in its design and treatment, calls to mind the remarkably painted folding altar-piece by Master Stephen Sothener, 1410, in the chapel of St. Agnes, at the east end of Cologne Cathedral.

8311.

The Apparel for an Amice; the ground, crimson, embroidered in silk; the centre pattern is edged at both sides with inscriptions done in letters of the mediæval form. German, 15th century. 15-1/4 inches by 3-3/4 inches.

This apparel for an amice is embroidered in sampler-stitch and style with the names of St. Odilia and St. Kylianus, and the first line of the hymn in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "Ave Regina celorum," as well as the inscription "Mater Regis," having, except in one instance, a crowned head between each word in the lettering. St. Kilian or Kuln was an Irishman born of a noble house: with two companions, he went to Germany to preach to the unbelieving Franconians, and being made bishop by Pope Conon, he fixed his see at Wurtzburg, where he was martyred, 688. Dr. Bock has figured it in his "Geschicte der Liturgischen Gewänder des Mittelalters," iv Lieferung, pl. iii. fig. 4.