Oldenglishembroi00stau 0 by David Mannock

uViaryAnn "^eineme

(DecoraMcArf Q)[[edwru

Â«

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2015

https://archive.org/details/oldenglisheinbroiOOstau_0

"The Westminster

Chasuble." (English,

Crimson

velvet,

15th Century.)

embroidered with gold.

ENGLISH

ERY ITS

TECHNIQUE AND

SYMBOLISM

Frances and Hugh Marshall.

LONDON HORACE COX. WINDSOR HOUSE, BREAM CHANCERY LANE, E.C. 1894.

BUILDINGS.

LONDON PRINTED BY HORACE COX, WINDSOR HOUSE, BREAM'S BUILDINGS,

E.G.

THE

K 1X C KS S

I >

KE I S T I AK

THIS BRIEF HISTORY OF

THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMEXT OF THE BEAUTIFUL ART

WHICH HAS EXERCISED THE SKILL AND INGENUITY, AND HAS BEEN IHE COMFORT AND CONSOLATION OF HER COUNTRYWOMEN

ALL AGES,

HUMBLY DEDICATED,

WITH HER VERY KIND PERMISSION,

THE AUTHORS.

—

CONTKNTS. CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION. PAGl

The Art

by the Ancients Peplus of

Christian

SymboHsm

Robe

Ulysses,

Minerva, the

the Art in the of the

— —The

Embroidery

Hangings

Domesday

Norman and

Empress Helena

Cloak

the

Temple

Survey, the Close

Plantagenet Kings

in the

— Embroidery Rolls,

— Vestment

Third Century

...

CHAPTER

as Practised

/Eneas, the

— References

and Issue Rolls

Embroidered by the

...

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. Embroidery or Aurifrasium

—

— Gold

Thread Work

—

St.

Cuthbert's

Vest-

—The Needlework — of the Syrian Embroideries of Charlemagne — Oriental Character of European Work — Embroidered Banner King Arthur — Standard of the Danes — The Royal Vestments presented Croyland Abbey — The Tinted Work Dunstan Saxon Wall Hangings and Domestic Embroidery — The Dress the Anglo-Saxons — Oswald's Chasuble ments

Ecclesiastical

Vestments of the Dark Ages

Convents —-Anglo-Saxon

Embroiderers

St.

...

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

CHAPTER

III.

ANGLO-NORMAN WORK. PAGE

The Bayeux Tapestry— Its of

Queen Matilda

at the

History, Description, and

Evroul—The Needlewomen

St.

Norman Conquest

time of the

Technique— Tha

— Sandals

CHAPTER VESTMENTS OF

ST.

Gifts

of Winchester

Pope Adrian IV.

IV.

THOMAS A BECKET.

— The Flower — Old English Thomas Mitres — Mitre Becket — Orphreys Thirteenth and — Goldsmiths' Work Fourteenth Centuries — Age Gold and Liturgical Garments — The Metal Work Enrichments the Elinor Aquitaine — Banners and Caparisons Plantagenets — Robe — Siege Carlaverock — The Gold Thread the Thirteenth Century Westminster — Military Costume — Devices of the — The Frontal Knights — Metal Work Ornaments — The Beefeaters' Dress — Ancient Method Patching — The Trade the Embroiderers

The Chasuble

St.

Thomas

Becket

St.

Silver

Style of

...

CHAPTER

...

THE ORDER OF CHIVALRY AND HERALDRY.

— Religious Significance a Wheel — Variety of Creatures on of Colours — The Tripated Banners

English Designs on Early Ecclesiastical

Work

— Cherubim on — Symbolism Heraldry — The Symbol The Infancy the Eagle — Birds — The Emblem Swan and the Peacock — Symbolism Heraldic Devices Liturgical

Vestments of

of the

Prey

of of

Four-winged Cherubim

—The

Knight's

Vow Armour

the

— The

— —

—

CONTEiNTS. Order

Chivalry— Heraldic Devices

and Leopards

Jupon

in the

of the Plantagenets

— The

PAGK Lions

England — The Surcoats the Knights — The Badges the Tournaments

Arms

of the Black Prince

Vll

...

CHAPTER VI. THE SYON COPE. Its

History

{Opus plumariuin)

— Characteristics "

—

—The Feather —English Orphreys Rome English Work — The Dalmatic — The Chasuble Special Features and Excellence — Richness of

and Description

— Cope of

English Work,"

its

Ecclesiastical Vestments

Opus Anglicaiium

St.

...

CHAPTER MATERIALS EMPLOYED

Stitch

Sylvester

...

VII.

MEDIyEVAL EMBROIDERY.

— Ciclatoun — Cendel — De Fundata — Fustian — Buckram — Satin and Origin — Taffeta and Sarcenet — Camoca, Camora, — — Velvet Technique Camek Diaper — Badekin — Worsted the Work — Needles — Varieties the Stitch used Embroider}' Opics — Opus Pcctincum — Plumar lum — Opus Coiisutum — Opus Pulviiiai — Opus Plirygium Opus Filatoi lum

Samit

Silk, their Eastern

luni

...

CHAPTER

...

VIII.

DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY OF THE MIDDLE AGES. Carpets and Rushes

— Subjects

— Wall

of the

Paintings

Woik

—Tapestry and Embroidered Hangings

the

Anglu-Nurman Ladies

— Plxploils b 2

— —

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

Vlll

their

Husbands, the Tale

carried over

Troy, Proverbs

of Embroidery — Domestic " Tapestry Verd — Glass,

Furniture

—Trestles,

Introduction

First

Queen Elizabeth

— Nunneries

Cambridge

the Schools

Benches,

into

England

— Cushions

Faldestol,

— Canopy

and Chairs of

Sixteenth Century — A Bedchamber the Period — Altar Hang— Mural Painting — Earliest Wall Panelling — Historical Pictures — The Earliest Picture Frames — Introduction Mirrors —

the

ings

-First

Painted Canvas in Imitation of Tapestry, Counterfeit Arras, " Stayned Cloth," Painting on Glass

CHAPTER

IX.

BED HANGINGS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

— Hangings the Bedchamber —Bed Hangings of Thorgunna —Wills and Bequests of the Middle Ages—Bequest of Edward the Black Prince — White Embroidery and Lace — Cut and Darned Catherine Work — Thread Embroidery, Filatorium — Apartments Hampton Court Braganza— Queen Charlotte's Bed

Domestic Customs Coverlets

the

Middle Ages

— Bed Draperies

Edward

II.

CHAPTER

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. Monuments Representing Black Prince

the

Dress of the

Winchester.

—The

Period

Statute of

— The

Edward

Manuscripts and Ancient Brasses, Authorities on Ecclesiastical

from

Costume

Ecclesiastical

Tournament

— Art before — Badges

Forms

of the Field of the

the

Surcoat of

III.

Civil,

the

— Illuminated Military,

and

— Emancipation — Royal Arms

Renaissance

of the Sovereign

Cloth of Gold

— Influence

on Art of

—

CONTENTS.

—The Embroiderers' Company, 1561 — Salisbury Work of Mary Queen of Scots — Tiie Old Countess Beheaded on the Evidence an Embroidered Vestment — Stubb's Anatomy of Abuses — Embroidered Shoes — Specimens Embroidery Parr — Elizabeth's the Tudor Exhibition — Dress Catherine Coronation Ruffle — Purse Worked by Queen Elizabeth — Slipper Catherine de Berain — Beadwork Chatelaine Henry VIII. 's Foreign Wives

CHAPTER

XI.

EMBROIDERY ON THE STUMP. Stump Work

Durham

and

Technique

Cope — Work-box ^

Bead Work

—Purse

Subjects

belonging to

Charles

Miniatures and Landscapes

— Nell

Mirror

— The

Lady Charlotte Schrieber

— Purses,

Worked

Gwynne's

Gipcieres,

Letter

Gifts

Silk

CHAPTER

XH.

JACOBEAN WORK. Study of Nature

Seventeenth Century

in the

Portraits

Worked

with

Human

— Hangings Embroi—Bed Hangings Chippendale and Adams — Beauty Queen Anne — The Influence Decoration and Furniture — Jacobean Work — Chair Coverings — The Banner Monmouth — New England Workers who Sailed the America — Tambour Work — Hanoverian Mayflower — Embroidery Embroidery of the Georges — English Bookbinding Needlework Bible Charles — Curious Double Books of Psalms and New Testament — Miss Linwood's Pictures Coloured Worsteds

Hair

— Revival

—

dered

Needlework

Crewels

—^The

Lace

the

Restoration

William and Mary

...

—

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

CHAPTER SYMBOLISM Symbols

Ancient Origin of "

MEDIAEVAL EMBROIDERY.

— Symbolism

Early Church

the

of Life

Bestiaria of

CHAPTER

of the Evangelists of

Saints

—The of

the

— Emblems

Tetramorph^

Anglican Church

SAINTS.

of the Apostles

— Emblems

Old

— Significance Precious Stones— Symbolism — Colours Colours — The Language and Symbolism Flowers — Emblems of the Virgin

Testament Figures

XIV.

EMBLEMS AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE

— Emblems

PAGE

Figure of the Deity

Emblems

— The

—Varieties of the Cross—The Lamb and the Vine —Emblems the Trinity—The Nimbus — Mediaeval and Emblems— Pagan Origin of Christian Emblems — The the Middle Ages — The Tree — The Chrysoclavus

Gammadion

Figures

XIII.

Levitical

...

of of ...

125

of II.I.USTRATIONS.

IaIST

FACE PAGE

The Westminster Chasuble Bayeux Tapestry.

Munich

Burial of

Mitre, with

The Syon Cope.

...

Edward

Martydom

of St.

...

the Confessor

Thomas

...

a Becket

...

Fishmongers' Company.

Pall.

Tapestry Panel,

...

English (Thirteenth Century)

Saxon and Roman Needles Funeral

...

St.

Elizabeth of

to King's College,

Cambridge in the

Chesterfield Cope.

Workbox

Side Panels of

Curtain

...

Elizabeth's Visit ...

...

the

Stump: Front

Box

...

100

...

loi

...

102

Workbox

Embroidered

Crewels.

...

Queen

...

Workbox, covered with Embroidery on

Back

...

(Sixteenth Century)

English (Fourteenth Century)

Lid of Workbox...

...

Frontispiece

Cathedral of Gerona

Tapestry of the Sixteenth Century

Embroidered Book Cover

...

English (Fourteenth Century)

Hungary

Embroidered Canopy, used on the occasion

Wall Tapestry Preserved

...

with

Tropical

Flowers

English (Seventeenth Century)

and

Fruits

Coloured 106

...

PAGE Mitre of

St.

Thomas

a Becket, at Sens

...

Bayeux Tapestry: Scenes from the Conquest

England

Bayeux Tapestry: Scenes from the Conquest

England

Ship with Embroidered

Sails.

Cott.

MS.

...

OLD ENGI-ISH EMBROIDERY.

xii

PAGE

Coat of Arms (Fourteenth Century)

...

Cope

...

Dalmatic of the Fifteenth Century

...

Chasuble (Sixteenth Century)

...

Part of the Orphrey of the Syon

...

Figured Silk (Fourteenth Century)

Bed

Pair of

Curtains, Embroidered with Scripture

English (Sixteenth Century)

Crewels.

Embroidered

Curtain,

Crewels,

English (Sixteenth Century) Coverlet,

Embroidered

Silver Braid

...

III.

...

Elizabeth's Coronation Ruffle

Worked by Queen

Honour

...

Coloured ...

Elizabeth

...

and Birds. ...

...

English (Sixteenth Century) .

76 81

...

Embroidered Purse, Presented by Queen Elizabeth of

...

and Henry IV.

Embroidered Skull Cap

Purse

...

Flowers

Embroidered Dress, Worn by Queen Catherine Parr

Queen

Saracenic Aumoniere (Thirteenth Century)

Purse Embroidered with Tudor Rose...

Satin

...

Subjects

Detached

Coloured Crewels.

Embroidery.

Royal Arms of Edward

with

...

one of her Maids

...

Slipper of Catherine de Berain

...

Elizabethan Chatelaine in Beadwork

...

Gauntlet (Temp.

...

Elizabeth)

...

Cap, Embroidered with Coloured Silks and Gold Wire and Spangles

...

Hanging, Embroidered

...

105

Crewels.

Bed Hangings, Embroidered

English (Seventeenth Century)

English (Seventeenth

Blue-green Crewels.

106

Century) Curtain,

Embroidered with Exotic Birds and Tropical Plants

Crewels.

Book

Psalms and

The

English (early Eighteeenth Century)...

Psalms and

New

Emblems

...

Coloured ...

...

107

...

112

...

Testament, with PZmbroidered Cover

Testament, with Embroidered Cover

Varieties of the Cross

Ecclesiastical

...

..,

...

123

...

124

CHAPTER I

The

N T R O D U C T ION.

embroidery, of representing scenes and figures with the

art of

needle,

probably

the

oldest

art

painting and sculpture, to which in time

The needle It

as a historian

existence. it

preceded

gave place.

older than the pen and the brush.

has preserved to us the architecture, the dress, the customs of

past generations, and these storied pictures which have long since

which have been dust

perished,

petuated by the patient the sculptor. to serve as

has been

Each

toil

for

to the other,

its

has been content

turn

and so the story

of the ages

told.

But there

a deeper interest in the beautiful, patient, pains-

taking work of our ancestors than details, or the portraiture of

age.

per-

the illuminator, and the chisel of

beautiful art

handmaid

have been

centuries,

The

attached to mere historical

the dress and manners of a forgotten

Christian faith and zeal of pious

women

found expres-

sion in those early days in their loving labours for the Church.

The sacred flame

of art

was kept

by the votaries of the Church.

needlewoman working out.

They

did more

alive

through the dark ages

The monk

her lonely tower kept

in it

his

cell

and the

from dying quite

they preserved to us nearly

all

we know B

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

and mysterious expression

beautiful

that

symbohsm.

Christian

and

suffering,

expression

fitting

of the earhest Christian artists

and the reward

martyrdom, found a

the decoration of vestments and

embroidered by pious hands as votive offerings those

we term

the glory and triumph of the cross, the blessedness

to represent of service

The devices

of our faith

early painstaking

everything that

was introduced

days

for the

nothing was

into a

hangings

Church. accidental

Symbols were never used merely as decorations and ornaments every figure

employed tended

design, and give force to

A all

knowledge

ture, or

embroidery.

occur.

symbolism

of Christian art,

There

from the middle ages

to us

illustrate

;

the

of the greatest use to

whether

in painting, architec-

down

which the use of symbols does not

emblem

written description would have been,

With the

subject

scarcely a work of art handed

the initiated the

the

meaning.

its

of Christian

who study works

;

had a meaning.

design

or attribute

as plain as the

and often more

revival of art industries,

and the study

a desire has sprung up to learn something of the

to the point. of old models,

meaning

of the

symbolic imagery that was the outcome and the expression of the faith of our ancestors for

The those

untrained eye does not see what stares

whom symbolism

they go through

The very,

over a thousand years.

few

work

of the middle

ages has perished long ago

specimens survive the lapse of

faithful representations of the dress It is

;

years, but the

monuments and tombs

and ornament

successive

interesting to note with what scrupulous exact-

ness the most minute details were reproduced. hurry

the face, and

a sealed book miss something as

sculptor has preserved to us on ancient

generations.

life.

beautiful

very

There was no

those old days, and nothing was too minute to engage the

talents of the

artists

employed.

Their care and patience have

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; INTRODUCTION.

many

preserved to us

interesting details, chapters indeed, in our

national history, that would

otherwise have perished.

This fact

adds a new interest to ancient monuments, and should make us jealous for their preservation.

The

patient artist, working year after year illuminating his

manuscripts, has depicted with richness of colour, and elaborate the beautiful designs and costly decorations of the long-

fidelity,

forgotten past.

But

not

the artist and sculptor alone that

indebted for the records of the beautiful works of the past.

and

historian, priest

down

and chronicler,

art of

forms, and time.

each other

handing

reproducing with the needle animals, flowers,

fanciful

Poet

triumphs of the needle.

to posterity the

The

vie with

are

human

devices, reaches far back into a prehistoric

Homer makes

frequent mention

daintily

embroidered

Ulysses wore a robe embroidered with scenes from the

robes.

chase, in which the animals are vividly described as panting and

struggling

the

moving

gold.

Penelope throws over her hero

before his departure for Ilium an upper garment elaborately

broidered

with

em-

Menelaus invests Telemachus with

figures.

garment which Her own

fair

With no vulgar art hands embroider'd every

part.

To invest a visitor with an embroidered robe was among the ancients the highest honour, and Homer is of describing in

considered

never tired

glowing terms the beautiful work that his

were ever engaged upon to present to favoured guests. all

his

women were

artists with

the

needle.

Penelope

women Indeed,

repre-

sented as working a shroud for Laertes, the father of her husband, it

being the custom

for their

deceased

among Grecian dames

lords, or his

next of

work grave clothes

kin, before

they could accept

another husband.

B 2

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY,

makes frequent mention

Virgil

games

victor in the

with

Tyrian

with

blazing

The

embroidered robes.

rewarded with a mantle elaborately worked

the chase

incidents of

Dido bestows on ^neas a cloak

;

purple

inwrought with

She

gold.

described as adorning her person with costly needlework.

ceremony

embroidering the peplus, or

Minerva, and of

festivals

The

the Athenians.

woman

tall

and

fair,

and

skilful in

The

statue of

of the highest

of the embroideress

craft

under the protection of Pallas Athene, a

for the

was observed as one

consecration,

its

veil,

also

whom Homer

was

represents as

splendid needlework, y^^schylus

describes the heraldic devices embroidered on the standards of the the siege of

chiefs at

Thebes.

Quintus Curtius speaks of the

mantle worn by Darius, when he went forth to battle, as being iigured with two golden

hawks

the act of pecking at one another

with their beaks.

In later times the Provenyal poets, like our

Chaucer, decked

their

creations

lovely

daintily

own

embroidered

robes.

From

the earliest antiquity, embroidered vestments were used

by royal and noble personages regal attire with which

abounds

;

they are, indeed, the

first

kind of

The Old Testament raiment, which may be

are acquainted.

references to rich and costly

supposed to have been the productions of the needle and not the loom, embroidered garments of various colours being emblems of the highest distinction from the most ancient times.

Thus we her son, of

find the

mother

of Sisera represented as desiring for

spoil of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours

needlework o

both sides, meet for the necks of those

who

take

the spoil." Pliny refers to embroidered robes, and states that the Babylonians were noted for their

skill in this

kind of work.

Babylonian garment, no doubt richly wrought, excited the

cupidity of Achan. I

In the description of the needlework of the

INTRODUCTION. Tabernacle we read

cherubim

and purple, and

in scarlet,

and that the

hangings were embroidered

the

that

priests

had girdles

which separated the Holy

light blue,

was

with

entwined with gold;

The

of needlework.

Holies,

also,

veil,

of fine white linen, but

so beautifully wrought that the groundwork was scarcely visible.

There

doubt that the Hebrew maidens brought

What

beautiful art to perfection during their residence in Egypt.

women

the Jewish

times

later

Christian

did

from a feeling alive the

best of

all

Church.

the

when

era,

the in

to the

the over,

were devoted to

the needle

vestments of the

Church, the service

its

In early Christian writings

priests.

references to the costly and elaborate needleskill

high-born ladies

those pious and painstaking days.

there are few examples

still

the dark and middle ages,

and the bard

historian left

;

existence of the embroidery

still

lives

the pages of the

and what the poet and the historian have

much

unsaid the faithful chronicler enumerates with detail,

many

cases, the tune occupied

the production, and the cost of the work In

prolixity

embracing, not alone the design, and the materials used,

but the stitches employed, and, in

was

persecution

work that exercised the ingenuity and

years

earlier

things should be dedicated to the

frequent

find

storm

first

the

every heart throughout Christendom that

choicest productions of

and

Temple, Christian ladies

of old did for the

for

this

the

Plantagenet

Rolls

kings,

when completed.

and Issue Rolls

there

are

frequent

Norman and

the

and

entries,

elaborate

descriptions of sumptuous embroidered robes and hangings

made

by royal command.

made

allusive

times

made

and

the art, and of

to gifts

monasteries.

In the

our of

Danish

Domesday Survey mention the

earlier records

conquerors,

embroidered vestments

Going farther back

still,

frequent to

Anglo-Saxon reference

various abbeys and that

remoter

period

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

Normans, and Saxons, and Danes, we learn that the

anterior to

amazon, Boadicea, led her troops

British

mantle of skins

Our

to battle habited

embroidered without." our language,

art, like

indebted for

many

origin to

its

Romans we are chiefly indebted for the introduction of this beautiful art. Some rude means of spinning were already employed by the Britons previous to the Roman invasion, and their women were practised in the use of the needle. The rich robes of the conquerors, and the vestments of the Church, Doubtless to the

sources.

were probably the

voked later

their envy,

produced the most highly-valued work

certain

that the

women

Opus

Europe, the

Fortunately the imitative tendency

continuity.

and pro-

which a few centuries

into existence the imitative faculty

Aiiglicitniy its

examples that excited

first

the art insured

England were

The

embroideresses as early as the third and fourth centuries.

Empress Helena, a Welsh

princess,

the mother of Constantine

(about the year A.D. 293), embroidered a vestment with an image of the Virgin.

In the beginning of the fourth century the art of ecclesiastical

embroidery had

and ignored

its

birth.

rules of

all

was crude and conventional

drawing and perspective.

first,

Its designs, too,

were essentially mosaics, being divided generally into numerous compartments.

Unlike

Oriental

art,

which

stationary from the beginning, the peculiar

has

modes

been

of technique

design showing scarcely a sign of evolution, Christian

began

Byzantiimi,

roundings, without,

and

Gothic, which

English

art.

open

naturally

may

was ever influenced to

modifications

thus,

course

and of

almost

its

art,

which

special

suggestions tune,

and

evolved

sur-

from the

be taken as the distinctive feature of early

CHAPTER

II.

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.

The

embroidery

term

comparatively

Broiid, Lat. Barb, Brodatus, in

Frnuge

PJirygiiiin (Fr.

Broden'e).

Fr.

mediaeval writings under the d'or), or

modern

title

work

(Brit.

Broiit,

better

known

Aiirifrasiiiiii

of gold

the

hence the

;

Opus

different

names, Orfrais or Orfreys, words indicating facings or parts of a material

which gold tambour was used. " Orfrais "

English writers,

though

are continually mentioned by

their appropriation

means confined extensively used

to in

seventh century the

ecclesiastical

thread into a kind of golden

The snood,

Saxon women.

was wrought

of silk

was various, not being by any Gold thread was

vestments.

embroidery from the

home weaving

mediaeval

earliest time

and

of silken stuffs

and

;

and gold.

;

has

perished

St. Cuthbert,

Anglo-

Anglo-Saxon period

The winding sheets of martyrs and kings were often gold web pieces of it have been frequently found in burial places.

the

of pure gold

web was the occupation or snod, of the

of this

ancient

Unfortunately, a great deal of beautiful old work in

the tombs of reputed saints.

when

the

tomb was opened,

parts of the robes in which the

the

body

1827, the ornamental

body was wrapped were

literally

covered with leaf gold, and beneath these a stole and maniple, beautifully in

Latin

wrought and ornamented, which bears "

Queen

Alfred's son and

this inscription

successor,

Edward the

OLD ENGLISH EMBROinERY.

was our

Elder,

made

who caused

y^lfflaed,

and maniple to be

this stole

Fridestan (Frithestan), consecrated Bishop of

for a gift to

These

Winchester, A.D. 905."

possession of the

relics are in the

Dean and Chapter of Durham. After the death of yElfled and Frithestan, King Athelstan bestowed the stole and maniple, with other costly

the

scripts in St.

gifts,

which are enumerated

Museum, on

British

Cuthbert's maniple

the shrine of

of pure gold thread.

being "of woven gold, with spaces

left

Manu-

the Cottonian

St.

described as

It is

vacant

Cuthbert.

needlework

for

embroidery."

At the same time were removed from the tomb fragments three wrappings of silk of a

was opened

wrapped

much

the twelfth century,

and the body

The

these silken shawls or mantles.

beautiful relics

Saint

the

texture of these

the Oriental designs prevalent at

Sicilian, with

tomb

Probably, the

later date.

the time.

researches

golden

woven

worked

relics, that

Isle

Wight,

into a

this early

burial, pieces

vestment.

of thin

work, as

Unfortunately, there are few the case of the St. Cuthbert

have survived the lapse of centuries.

examples

some

during

were found, that had evidently once been

recesses of the tomb,

beautiful

the

an old Anglo-Saxon place of

strips, quite flat,

specimens of

damp

Down,

Chessel

of the skill

Shut up

the

the darkness and the dust, the most

and industry

of the

age perished

with their owners.

The accounts

still

existence of the sumptuousness of the

ecclesiastical vestments of the dark ages, the altar-cloths, veils,

hangings

of various descriptions, are very remarkable.

The

cost

must have been enormous, as pearls and precious stones were literally

inwrought,

seem

to us, in these

years

were often

and the time and labour spent upon them days of haste, almost incredible. spent

upon one garment.

Three

And

this

to five

often

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. enwrapped the body

tomb

of the

of a saint,

and was consigned

to the darkness

Ladies of the highest rank and greatest piety, frequently, indeed, royalty

ment

of the

its leisure in

and the

work

for the embellish-

embroidering vestments for the clergy.

King Athelstan the whole

devotion,

world

employed

Church, and

In the time of

with

itself,

ladies of

island

was said

to blaze

England surpassed the whole

needlework.

Embroidery seems not only

and noble

have been a pastime occupation of

ladies, but the principal

of royal

women

of the

middle classes, and a source of considerable pecuniary advantage. Nunneries, we are told by Fuller, were

and maids were taught

work."

Shee-schools, wherein girles

principal occupation of the inmates (and

troubled times to seek,

these, the

indeed,

convents,

many were

glad

the

those

only safe shelter, temporary

refuge and protection) was fine needlework and embroidery.

The Anglo-Saxon embroiderers introduced of detail into their designs, in

drawing the human

greater perfection

and greater ingenuity and refinement

The

figure.

stole

and maniple

Durham

Cathedral, early tenth century work, are of the most perfect style of

Anglo-Saxon design, and the stitching and the gold grounding

are of the utmost perfection of needlework.

As tissues

early as the eighth century, in the time of

Charlemagne,

sumptuous description were brought

Europe, being

presents sent to him by the Caliphs, wrought probably at

Mosul

Syria

;

and sumptuous presents

Bagdad

embroidered

stuffs are

recorded to have been sent by him to one of our Anglo-Saxon kings.

The vestments found

his

tomb

Aix-la-Chapelle

are

remarkable specimens of the work of the period, their design partaking of a classical character. Berthe, the mother of Charlemagne, was famed for her needle-

work.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

probable

Europe

the

that

was

at this period

embroidery used

the south of

great measure furnished by artists

the East, as the oldest specimens that have been preserved are

Greek

evidently Oriental or

these early tissues ornamented with parrots, &c.

lions,

the design of the animals

;

character.

constantly find

antelopes, peacocks,

Similar

strictly Oriental.

designs, similarly treated, were sculptured on the ivory horn which,

according to tradition, was presented to Charlemagne by the good Haroun-al-Raschid.

made

the regal gifts

by the Anglo-Saxon king, ^^thelwolf, on the

to St. Peter's

occasion of his taking silken albs richly

among

recorded that

son Alfred to Rome, A.D. 855, were

his

ornamented with gold.

Banners, on which occur the earliest examples of embroidery

we have any record

that

Saxon

gold thread and

King Arthur, image

of Christ

silk.

the eighth battle against the Saxons, carried the

and the blessed Mary wrought upon

Augustine, when he

St.

are frequently mentioned by Anglo-

sumptuously emblazoned with sacred and

writers as being

other devices

of,

first

came

his shoulders.

preach to the Saxons,

had a banner borne before him, on which was an image

of the

Saviour Christ.

The Danes upon

celebrated standard had a sacred raven worked

and Harold bore

;

the figure of an

armed man worked

with precious stones.

upon the standard worked, we are told

Lodbrok

in "

the

names

esp(;cia lly

raven

of the in

Hastings a banner with

gold thread, and studded

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the bird

Odin

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that was borne

Danish masters of Northumbria, was

an old chronicle, by the daughters

Regna

one noontide's while."

In the inventories of

tions of the

to the field of

abbeys and cathedrals we find descrip-

most elaborate vestments and

of the royal rich

such

and pious donors. gifts.

ritual

appliances, with

Croyland Abbey was

King Wiglaf

(Witlaf,

King

ANGI.O-SAXON PERIOD. Mercia) gave to this abbey his coronation mantle

and embroidered with Hesperian apples, and

made

of silk,

velum; the

his

latter,

are told, was embroidered with scenes from the Siege of Troy.

Canute the Great presented

And

broidered with eagles of gold. of Ethelred

abbey a vestment

to this

the Unready) gave

his

to the

Emma

Queen

Abbeys

altar-cloth

described as of blood-red and green

orphreys.

Aldhelme, Bishop perfection

who

which the needlework

England had attained.

widow

Romsey and One

finest embroidered altar-cloths

tions the

(the

em-

and vestments.

Croyland the

of Sherborne,

of silk

with golden

silk

died in 709, menof

women

the

describes a robe in his possession "of

a most delicate thread of purple, adorned with black circles and

peacocks." Aelfled, the

century, gave

widow

of a

Northumbrian chieftain

the Cathedral of

the ninth

Ely a hanging embroidered

with the heroic deeds of her husband.

Queen

Editha, wife of the

Confessor, embroidered his coronation mantle, and other garments of

Confessor

the

recorded

are

having

been

sumptuously

embroidered with gold by her hands. It is

recorded that St. Dunstan (a.D. 924), by the request of

a lady, tinted a sacerdotal vestment for her, which she afterwards

embroidered

gold thread.

dered works were skilful

Most the

tinted,

first

draughtsmen and beautiful

tinting they are frequently

vestments

but this

;

does not

of these elaborately embroi-

monks

illuminators.

days being

those

From

this

custom

spoken of as painted or pictured imply that

they have

been

not

subsequently worked.

Ingulph

Church

tells

us of

some splendid hangings given

to the

Croyland by the Abbot Egebric that were ornamented

with birds wrought

gold and sewed on (cut work)

;

and

later

on we read of an account of some vestments at Exeter that had "

nothing about them but true needlework." C 2

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

About

this period,

and before the introduction

mural paint-

ings in the thirteenth century, wall hangings were decorated with

subjects

The bareness

a coarse kind of embroidery.

warmth

buildings in these early times necessitated hangings for

Walls and

and comfort.

pillars,

and even

roofs,

of our

were hung with

Em-

needlework long before they were either carved or painted.

broidered hangings, indeed, were at this time customary throughout

Europe.

read of a set of hangings twenty

with scenes out of Charlemagne's

Bayeux

tapestry,

age preserved

which

the

life

;

and

ells

later

long,

worked

on we have the

most important work

of its size

and

to us.

The hangings

of this period

were of coarse canvas, adorned

with needlework in thick worsted.

term only employed

for

Broderie was at that time a

needlework on

fine linen or silk.

Anglo-Saxon workers were so quick and clever they could

make

the loom.

The

their

embroidery look as

stitches

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or

threads, rather

The

the needle that

had been done

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;were

laid

upon the

surface side by side, and not always drawn through the canvas, but

bound

at intervals

by cross-fastenings, thus,

gold thread or

silk

were employed, saving considerable expense.

Domestic embroidery was practised

at this time in all middle-

class English

homes, and was applied not only

and luxury

the adornment of the home, but was employed very

to articles of use

extensively upon articles of dress.

From

ancient Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, which are generally

illuminated with

details,

we have

of the period, both for

men and

the most minute

abundant evidence that the dress

attention

women, was decorated with embroidery. In the illuminated

MS.

of the

Psychomachia (describing an

imaginary battle between the virtues and vices) of Prudentius, a Christian poet

we meet

who wrote about

the beginning of the

fifth

century

with charming illustrations of the Anglo-Saxon dress of

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. the period, and here

embroidered robes.

The

and

find the virtues clad in scarlet shoes

date of this

MS.

about the end of the

tenth century.

The

dress of the Anglo-Saxons was simple and uniform in

its

character.

The

over-froc, which reached as low as the middle of the leg,

The

had usually an embroidered border.

made

and was ornamented with borders

of linen,

Over

came

this

waist,

and the

which was

women was

of needlework.

Both were confined

the giiiiua, or gown.

at the

was decorated with an embroidered border

giiiuia

and

to the skirt

kyrtle of the

The mentel

sleeves.

upon the

fastened

right

(mantle), or short cloak,

shoulder

with a

fibula,

The

brooch, was frequently embroidered with gold and colours.

Men

borders were often very rich. hrec (breeches)

;

and hose

bound round with stocking,

appear

first

of costly materials

precious

fillets

and

The name

In later years

tells

of this period.

hose bands.

richly embroidered,

were

even

occurs

Sandals were often

and even enriched with this

early

period

not

Anglo-Saxon poetry.

we sometimes meet with

Buskins, or

descriptions of the

English Dominican Friar writing

1360,

notice of St. Oswald, Archbishop of York, in the

his

the eleventh century.

.c^/^y"

rooc, or tunic,

were worn upon the legs, frequently

{Jiose-beiidas)

Gloves

stones.

unknown.

work

{Jws)

wore besides the

year 976, that his chasuble, a purple one, adorned with needlework in

gold and precious stones, and

kept

as beautiful as ever, was

the church at Beverley.

Another chasuble

orphreys,

Friar, writing in

Anglo-Saxon

one

celebrated

silver

still

imitating

Aix.

the thirteenth century, describes a

work which It

jeweller's

exactly

resembled

the

adorned with the richest golden work,

enriched

with

pearls

and

bells.

Altar curtains or veils were used by the Anglo-Saxons,

made

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY. colour, flowered with garlands of

of rich silk of crimson or rose

pearls running round imagery illustrative of sacred subjects.

The

MSS.

shoes, as represented in

down

with a thong, and have an opening

period, are tied

this

the instep.

Except

the case of great persons they are painted black.

After the Conquest there were great alterations,

ancient manuscripts, in

During the whole

period there had been very

the

MS.

ornamented

in.

the Anglo-Saxon

variation in the dress, but after

little

the Conquest changes crept in

learn from

the costumes of the people, and especially

dresses of ceremony.

see

The

outer vest of the ladies,

Prudentius (eleventh century), were of richly

presumably needlework.

stuffs,

Under the Normans the costume

the ladies underwent

became

far

more splendid.

considerable modifications, and

The

tunic, instead of being loose

and flowing, was laced

show the form

This fashion the Saxon ladies carried

of the body.

close, so as to

such an extent that an early Anglo-Latin poet accuses them

of covering themselves with gold

and gems

of perforating their ears in order to

fasting their

and bleeding themselves

waists and

busts

colouring their hair

;

of painting their eyes

hang them with jewels

;

order to look pale; of tightening

order to

order to give

mend

their

a yellow

shapes

tint.

;

and

CHAPTER ANGLO-NORMAN WORK

The

Bayeux

monument times

tapestry

has

that

— not

— THE

BAYEUX TAPESTRY.

undoubtedly

been

from

alone

III.

preserved intrinsic

its

ancient work, but as a chapter

Queen Matilda, shut up

value

weary hours while her lord delayed

lofty

feudal

example

history.

beguiling

tower,

coming,

his

interesting

intact

contemporary

her

most

the

depicting

and

with her active needle the story of his conquests

the

battles,

has bequeathed to posterity, as an old writer, Stukeley, speaks of

the noblest

it,

monument

the world

relating

our

old

English history.

Since

was brought

light

having been

1724, after

lost sight of for several

centuries, until the present time,

been the

warm controversy between

was

subject

probably

worked

Matilda,

wife

has

antiquaries.

William

the

Conqueror, between 1066 and 1068, though some writers assert that

was worked under the direction

daughter of Henry

having been worked at the is

bears internal evidence of

earlier period

no trace throughout of the armorial

leopards

—

many and such had of

certainly

the

later

time,

varied devices

which in

Empress Matilda,

of the

claimed for bearings

certainly

the

costume

There

— the

would,

Norman among so

the borders, have found a place

been worked under the Empress Matilda. figures

it.

the

period

The costume the Norman

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

men

Conquest, and the

represented

all

wearing

which was customary among the

long,

hair

are

Saxons, while

succeeding reigns the fashion of close-cut hair prevailed.

seems no reason

doubt that

first

many Saxon

wives

and

their

There

Normandy, when

return to

came

him.

with

probably the Saxon ladies would have assisted her

case,

was worked by Queen Matilda

and her maidens on William's nobles

their

this

the

work.

The

details of

interesting

giving

architecture

treatment

very

curious

inspection

the

buildings

There are examples

time.

manor-houses,

each

other

The

compartments,

Conquest

Duke

trees

each

letters of the inscription are

The

Its entire

the

Intention

worked

226

The technique worsted threads

laid

life

of William,

inscription

the

Norman running

The

figures.

coarse

Is it

and

homespun

to the colour of It

saints' days.

linen,

brown

feet broad.

Bayeux, for which It

contains 530

which are females.

very curious.

The

on the surface side by

by cross fastenings, the seams, a species of twist.

the

houses,

Avorsted about an inch

feet,

the

Latin

was used as a hanging on certain

figures, three only of

same

seventy-two

are

incidents

went exactly round the nave of the Cathedral It

the

separated from

are

There

Age has reduced

length

the

dwelling

or scenes,

material of the ground

probably unbleached. holland.

humble

buildings.

There

explains

permitting

and without

representing

Normandy.

The

of churches, palaces, castles, towers,

subjects, or

the

period.

conventional,

within

extremely

crude,

the

England, and stirring scenes

throughout, which

height.

and

cathedrals,

forts,

besides interiors.

however

representations,

and

buildings

existing

wonderful piece of work are

this

The

joints,

faces,

and

figures are side,

bound

worked with at intervals

folds being indicated by

hands, and legs of the figures,

ANGLO-NORMAN WORK. when

bare, are merely outlined in green, red, or blue, the features

being worked

any reference

to their natural colours.

All

yellow.

the objects are represented without Perspective, too,

wholly

neglected, and the effects of light and shade are curiously repre-

Thus, for example, a red horse has

sented. in

and a green horse

blue,

There are eight

different

and

of blue, green,

coloured worsteds employed,

The borders

red.

red

legs.

shades

are worked in narrow bands

of green

edged with faded crimson, and with a very

ing scroll

borders are very fantastic, containing

thin undulat-

The designs

same colours between them.

the

worked

legs

off

as having

represented

its

kinds of animals

all

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; fables

camels, minotaurs, dragons, birds, sphinxes

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

the

lions,

^sop and

Phaedrus, scenes of husbandry, &c.

There

a curious representation of the exterior of West-

minster Abbey, earliest

some workmen

with

pictorial

representation of

rudely delineated, there

design. in

use

its

curious feature in

the clear and

undoubtedly very rude,

spirited, and,

bold

sketched, as

Every thread serves and shows as an

needlework.

However

England.

singular spirit and expression

which the outline of the figures

drawing

a weathercock, the

fixing

the

manner were, in

The

outline.

remarkably

but

bold

and

however exaggerated, shows great truth and force

of expression.

Bayeux

the

frieze

sculpture court of South is

shown

visitors

under glass, and bucket from a

us,

visit

to the

the

seen

the

cathedral

out

Bayeux.

by a process

kept

drawing up a

well.

Matilda, the

recounting the

Abbey

adorned with

may be

Kensington Museum, and the original

rolled

This same Queen tells

Tapestry

chronicler Vitalis

incidents connected

of St. Evroul,

" orfrais,"

Norman

with

the

royal

brought with her an alb richly

and presented

the

She

church.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

also

left

will

" chesable,"

wife of one Alderet,

worked

and a cloak worked

Winchester by the

made

in gold,

and two golden girdles adorned with emblems.

related that

Winchester was

and abounded with able needlewomen.

at this time a royal city, It

England,

the

return

William

the

Conqueror

Normandy, the Normans were as much struck with the splendid embroidered garments of the Saxon nobles

in his train,

as with

the

who accompanied him. Domesday Survey mention is made of

who

held two hides of land, which Earl Godric granted

the beauty of the Saxon youths In

Alunid, to

her

There

on is

condition also

her

damsel,

teaching his daughter embroidery.

another mention

a certain Leuide,

the

who made embroidery

Conqueror's for the

survey

use of the King

and Queen. At the end

the

eleventh

century, Christina,

Markgate, worked a pair of sandals, we are of surpassing beauty,

for

Pope Adrian IV.

told,

Abbess

and three mitres

CHAPTER VESTMENTS OF

IV.

THOMAS

ST.

BECKET.

In the study of the decorative arts we cannot too highly value importance of being able to refer to examples the date of

the

which

unquestioned.

Of the

early Plantagenet period

a beautiful

Thomas

Syon cope, and

the

vestments, worn bv

earlier ecclesiastical

still

St.

example

we have

a Becket, are preserved

the

treasury at Sens.

The

interesting old tiful

work are faded, but the beau-

and elaborate designs, and the exquisite

old stitchery,

remain after the lapse of

still

The gold work

seven centuries. that

most deeply

original colours of this

resembles weaving.

may

the chasuble

so perfect

the neck of

be seen the characteristic

Anglo-Saxon ornament which seems

called

" the

have been kept

flower,"

use

for

ecclesiastical vestments for several centuries. It

occurs on the vestment found on the body

of St. Cuthbert

seen

figured

brasses on drals.

wrought

1104), and

cumbent

episcopal

The in

(in

flower "

may be

effigies,

tombs

often

and old

our

cathe-

consisted of a

gold, which

spread

Mitre of St. Tliomas a Becket at Sens.

itself

mass in

broad

rich

needlework

thick

branches

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

20 over

the

all

breast,

and upon

the

higher

part

the

back,

while round the neck of the vestment ran a broad band of gold

studded with jewels.

The

gold embroidery. white,

Thomas

mitre of St.

and are

the

All

The

precious stones.

English mitres

old

are told,

of the

ground with

of white

existence are

The Bishop

Anglo-Normans and

embroidery and sparkling with gems.

most costly materials, and

needlework representing passages from Holy Writ, or saints,

or overspread with

gold.

Thin beaten plates

intricate designs

gold were

orphreys, which were sprinkled both pearls

and

The orphreys

jewels.

was covered with pearls and

chasubles, too, of the

Plantagenets were rich

They were made

embroidery and jewels.

rich in gold

Lincoln's mitre (1203),

a Becket

done

storied with lives of

threads of

hung upon the

often

and behind with

front

and fourteenth

of the thirteenth

centuries appear from the old inventories of religious

have been particularly rich

the

houses to

goldsmith's work and jewels.

the inventory of Lincoln Cathedral a chasuble

described

In " of

red cloth of gold, with orphreys set with pearls, blue, white, and

and with plates

red,

Enamels seem

These enamelled There

of gold

this

time to have been a favourite ornament.

;

sewn upon the work.

plates were

a mitre at Munich of the twelfth century, white and

gold, embroidered with the

on one side

enamelled, wanting fifteen plates."

of St.

martyrdom

of St.

Thomas

Stephen on the other.

This was the age, indeed, of goldsmith's work. to

sew a great deal

ments and all

the

French with

and

stuffs

work upon

period,

until

gold.

The custom

ecclesiastical vest-

wear prevailed through

the wars of the Roses.

so ornamented were said to be

hammered five

of goldsmith's

articles intended for personal

Norman

a Becket

Norman-

" batuz," or

King John gave an order

beaten

for five tunics,

banners with his arms upon them, "well beaten

gold."

Mitre.

White and St.

Thomas

gold, embroidered with the

h Becket.

Martyrdom

(English, 13th Century.)

VESTMENTS OF

Among

BECKET.

the church furniture provided for the chapel at Hereford

by Richard

An covered

THOMAS

ST.

II.,

example

interesting

curious

this

the grave of h!dward

were two altar curtains beaten,

when

rydell batuz."

work was

old

was opened

dis-

1774.

the body of the king, beside his silken robes, was a stole-like

studded

band

with

broidered with pearls

wrapped

said to be little

silk

for the

quatrefoils

gilt ;

and em-

work,

filigree

from the knees downward the body was

The

a cloth of gold.

wrought

pure gold

old English stole might often be It

was woven with the help

into a kind of metallic web, leaving at intervals

of a

spaces

working of the figures of saints by the needle, and

fastening on jewels.

Sometimes

little

bells

for

as well as

silver,

beautiful fringes of gold knotted " fretty-wise," were attached to

the ends of the stole.

Lord Willoughby de Broke has one

later date with thirty-eight shields of

10 feet long and 2 inches wide

arms worked upon

from the heraldry

;

of a it

about the

date of Henry VI.

The

garments

liturgical

embroidery and gold and times too heavy feeble. this

for

Matthew

of this period

silver

the

were so loaded with

enrichments that they were some-

wearer, especially

Prior tells us

of one

that

he were old and

was broken up on

account, and the rich embroidery thrown into the flames to

get the gold out of

it.

Ladies at this time were not

above pursuing the

The men,

embroiderers for profit as well as for amusement.

appears from an old close " travailed " at

roll

of the time of

Henry

the orfeirie department, while the

craft

of it

HI., usually

women

did the

more elaborate needlework.

The metal work

style of the Plantagenets, as

described,

often resembled in design the spreading scroll-like ornaments from

the Gothic hinges on a church

door, though

sisted of medallions inclosing figures

sometimes con-

and subjects, surrounded by

—

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

metal work, and bands of gold and silver threads alternating with

Gold and

smaller medallions.

silver gilt

and bigger than spangles,

imitation of goldsmiths' work, broader

sewed upon the embroidery.

stars often occurred, in

orphreys embroidered on parch-

ment, coral, gold beads, seed pearls, small bosses, and ornaments gilded silver stars

gold and silver

ments

were

— sometimes

— are mentioned

sprinkled

rayed

with

gemmed

coral

and

Borders of vest-

as being used.

sometimes representing flowers and often

large spangle-like plates in

stars trefoils

with stones set in

gold

of ;

heads

and

silver

gold,

were

of saints

besides

silver gilt,

pearls.

This

style

ornament

metal

upon

stitched

liturgical

garments, knights' coats of arms, heralds' tabards and pennons

was much more common than we now confined

Ladies'

these.

sumptuous manner.

But

believe.

were also adorned

dresses

II.,

the

sum

£80

the Close Rolls (1252),

robes

the best

queen, with

was

the queen for

brocade

" orfrais "

the best

Henry

— two

and gems

of the

III.,

for

each square containing a

rente it

The one

order

still

was

king, one of which little

for

extant

be of

leopards

His sandals also to be fretted with gold, lion or leopard.

sayde that on a

embroidered robe of

Queen

the king and two for the

Holinshed relates a curious incident " It is

London

occurs an order for four

of various colours.

same

this

our currency to £i/^oo).

purple samit, embroidered with three

and three behind.

front

(equal

to be with " queyntisis."

making the robes

a State occasion the Sheriffs of

paid for an embroidered robe for Elinor of Aquitaine,

Henry

was not

stryving to put

Henry

day King Henrie put on an

festival

scarlet, the

cape whereof being

over hys heade

would not serve him, he layd

brother Robert have this garment,

aside and

;

strayte,

and perceyving sayde,

Let

who hath a sharper head than

THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY.

BAVEUX TAPESTRY.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

24 I

have

when brought

the which

;

not being sewed up, he discovered

had worne "

Duke Robert,

to it,

and asked whether any man

before.

The messenger

matter how

the whole

told

Herewith Duke Robert took much griefe of his brother, that he

perceyve like his

waxed wearie

happened.

mocke

at the scornefulle

and sayde,

of his life

have lived too long, that

the rent place

Now

brother shall clothe

And

almes-man, with his cast-rent garments.'

then cursing

the time of his nativity refused from henceforth to eate or drink,

and so pined away, and was buried

King John Cornhull,

gave an order

(April, 1251)

furnish

embroidered with

without

delay

Edward

gold.

at Gloucester."

in.) ordered a banner of white

five

one Reginald de

banners

arms

his

Westminster (1252, Henry

be embroidered with the

silk to

representation of the Crucifixion, with effigies of the blessed Virgin

and

St.

John embroidered

in orfrais,

and on the top a

and a

star

new crescent moon.

also

read

and

banners

records of the

caparisons

the

siege of

and

knights

accompanied Edward were embroidered on

Carlaverock, the

silk

soldiers

and

satin

who with

the arms of their owners. In the Cottonian of

Henry

MSS. we have

and King John. I.

has an embroidered gold border to his long cloak,

and King John's tunic in

gold,

and

The

an interesting representation

embroidered with fleur de

his short cloak

figure

chiefly

lys

and

lions

has a gold-embroidered border.

remarkable

for the

very singular high

clogs worn by the king.

Mention chasuble

made

representing

the

an old chronicle of the period of a Crucifixion,

the

martyrdom

St.

Stephen, &c., late thirteenth century work, belonging to Margaret de Clare, Countess of Cornwall, worked with four coats of arms

THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY.

HAROLD SAILING FROM DOSHAM TO PONTHIEU.

HAROLD KECEIVING THE CKOWN

BAYEUX TAPESTRY

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

This must have been worked certainly before 1294,

on a maniple.

when the countess was divorced from her husband.

Mr. A. piece

needlework

Apostles

ground

of the subject

and

displayed

representing

Lord

our

a curious

addressing

Gethsemane and The Betrayal

the Garden of

Museum, possesses

Franks, of the British

the

;

wrought with gold, diapered with eagles

Executed

gryphons.

England

late

the

thirteenth century. In

the thirteenth century English ladies used to

themselves process

gold

the

needed

thread

consisted, generally,

gold round a

make

for

their

embroidery

twisting

long,

narrow

for

the

;

strips

line of silk or flax.

learn from the Chancellor's Roll (1271) that

the gold used in the frontal of

Abbey was made

the

this

way

high altar at Westminster

the gold being flattened out by gold beaters

;

into a sheet as thin as the thinnest paper.

This frontal took four to work.

three years and three-quarters

was wrought with seed

buncles set

women

gold

;

pearls,

garnets,

and

car-

and, besides larger pieces of enamel, 886

smaller ones.

This

frontal

was presented by Henry

III.

Westminster

Abbey. In the

ment

The with

armorial

specimen

The this

and gold embroidery on

silk

pattern

Museum

South Kensington

a very interesting frag-

linen,

fourteenth century.

an interlacing strapwork, forming spaces worked bearings

England and other blazons.

This

rather rudely worked.

military

costume

of the time afforded a

The

kind of armorial decoration.

shrouded by

his basinet of steel,

wear some device embroidered on recognised by his friends.

wide scope for

face of the knight being

was necessary that he should

his dress

whereby he should be

became, therefore, the custom

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MILITARY COSTUME OF THE MIDDLE AGES. charge the jupon,

open

and

and cote hardie of the men, and the

of the females with

surcoats

wearer.

cointise,

meet with

the

heraldic

this continually

badge

ancient

all

the

monuments

ef^gies.

This custom prevailed extensively during the age of chivalry.

Even so

late as

enrichments

They were in

low

silken

relief

continued.

stuffs

hang very

and were hammered up

lightly,

the design represented upon them.

" beat betyn with gold

In the original

and

bill

a coat for

for heralds beat with

among

staffs

other items occurs

Lord's body beat with fine gold, two coats

demi-gold

holding a ragged

grififin

own

its

when Beauchamp,

for fitting out the ships,

and eighty yeards

length,

show

silver."

Earl of Warwick, went over to France,

one

This process of

metal work ornamentation had a technical expression of

for "

sewing

usually cut out of very thin plates of beaten gold or

so as to

silver,

upon

metals

precious

Henry VI. the practice

the time of

staff,

a great streamer forty yeards in

breadth, with

poudred

bear and

great

betyn gold

full

ragged

three pennons of satten, 16 standards of worsted, entailed

with the bear and a chain."

this mediaeval style of costly

our beefeater's dress

The

ancient

very ingenious. it

was intended

really

was the of

of putting a

to repair,

and so instead

Hence the

healer of clothes.'

patching

preserved.

is still

patch

metal work

a garment was

was invariably embroidered upon the

adorned them. "

the only example that

method It

ornamentation

being a disfigurement

name

classical

for a

meet with samples

the garments recently

fabric

found

the

patcher

of this kind

Fayum

Egypt.

Old work has so often been transferred rations that

sample.

succeeding gene-

sometimes one meets with two or three layers on one

The few examples

that

remain to us of the beautiful E

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

work

of the

Middle Ages, the

" orfrais

that continental churches

were so anxious to obtain, are only to be met with that

and

have been transferred in

"Large Ship

Arms

Embroidery in

till

Rome,

to priests' vestments.

of the 15th century, the sail

of the Earl of

with the Bear and

fragments

from time to time to altar cloths,

the case of the Church of

with the

embroidered

Warwick, and the streamer

Ragged Staff."â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cott. MS.

the thirteenth century

was practised

chiefly

convents and religious houses, and the ladies who practised

learnt

was

with the rest of their education

at first

convents.

Their work

simply for personal or domestic use, or votive offerings

MILITARY COSTUME OF THE MIDDLE AGES. to

the

Church.

The growth

Middle Ages, with fashions display,

its

the social burgher Hfe of

29 the

increase of wealth, and the introduction of

from other countries, developed a taste for luxury and

and embroidery then became the prevalent decoration not

only of royal and military costumes, but also of the lay and

civil

dress of the people.

From trade.

this

time the art of the embroiderer became a recognised

CHAPTER

THE ORDER OF CHIVAI.RY, AND HERALDRY.

Throughout of

Ages

the Middle

there was a perpetual recurrence

same forms, ever appearing and reappearing

the

varieties

and modifications according

endless

to the caprice of the artist.

Those who could not create were content

to repeat the familiar

conventional designs of their predecessors, with, perhaps, a slight

variation.

least

from

English ecclesiastical work a

wheel

—

occurs

emblematic

twenty per cent,

indeed,

the work being

the

early

the figure of the cherubim on

bore

frequently,

always a presumption lilies,

fifteen

Virgin,

also

that

presence

its

English.

frequently

vase of

occurs

and

;

every variety of animal and living creature, even to insects and reptiles,

God

may is

be found on early ecclesiastical vestments.

typified

under the figure of a

The

the mythical figure of a unicorn. wilful

lion

gical vestments of

the

lions,

thirteenth

must remember that the canticle used to be said

daily,

and that

the very garment of the priest In the

of its

God-man

man as a hare To account for the

— leopards, &c. — embroidered on

strange variety of creatures

soul of

wrong-doing and mischief as a monkey.

porpoises, fish, elephants,

;

Christ

;

caterpillars, squirrels,

the

hem

of litur-

and fourteenth centuries, we

"The Three Holy Children" use was thus emphasised by

who chanted

it.

age of chivalry and romance there was a symbolism

attached to every article of a knight's armour, to every colour

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; HERALDIC DEVICES. he wore

that

symbolism of colours was as much

indeed, the

;

regarded by the

by the clergy.

laity as

must always bear

Green

most

budding

year,

symbolises the Resurrection, the regeneration of mankind.

The

mind

significance

this

and

occurs,

frequently

The

work.

old

colour

the

this,

red cross on vestments

on the Cross.

examining

the

a symbol of the atoning blood shed

by Christian warriors, were emblematic

of the Trinity.

There was often a deep religious significance chosen

devices

The

sun, with

Psalmist,

hath

His

set

days,

early

Richard

clouds,

heraldry.

emblem

the

bring to mind the words of

II.,

The heavens

declare

tabernacle

the

the heraldic

infancy

the

beams issuing from the

its

grandfather of

of the

the

these

much used

banners, which were

tripated

the glory of

The

sun."

white

God," hart,

the

cognisance of the Fair Maid of Kent, the mother of Richard brings to mind the hart panting for the water brooks.

grew out as sacred first

symbolism.

Very soon

upon

may have adopted Later on

it.

they invested

painted

them

patient art,

her

hand,

reproduced them

cell,

chapel

case might be.

and

loom

his in

with deeper significance

the

;

hall

;

embroiderer,

the

;

The weaver

monk, illuminating colours

his brilliant

and they remain

may

until

this

day,

the artist

her

with

symbol

modifications

of the Christian ;

the

chapter of

though

their

true

a wheel

very

lost.

The four-winged cherubim standing on

first

the

worked them on the materials that came nearest

significance

early

from Eastern nations and improved

wove the chosen symbols his

represented secular as well

personal recognition and distinction,

religious, political, or historic, as the

Heraldry

Probably the Crusaders originated

things.

place as a method of

or they

II.,

Church.

appears under various

symbolism of the figure

Ezekiel.

The

beautiful

described

signification

the

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

presence of apostles, and martyrs, and saints, nimbed with glory,

amid winged seraphim standing upon wheels, symbolising heaven

now thrown open

and that he

made

that

redeemed man by the atonement,

a fellow companion of angels and cherubim.

This symbol appears under endless modifications of the fifteenth century.

until the close

one of the characteristic

distinctly

allegorical decorations of early English work.

The

displayed

eagle

another emblem of

very

frequent

occurrence on ecclesiastical vestments of the Middle Ages, and

seems

have been

considerable antiquity.

mentioned by Ezekiel,

allusive, in the first instance, to the eagle

but of

had another

also

signification.

power and supremacy.

Homer

the old sculptures of Nineveh

calls

see

the heads of Assyrian conquerors.

standards, and

was the device

Saracens borrowed regarded

as an

of Saladin

same form, adopted

Germany

the bird

The Romans bore

evil,

age

on their

The

Emperors.

Indeed, the especial badge

of victory.

the Middle

Ages was the double-headed was adopted by the

as their blazon, and

this day.

still

first

borne, in the

Other European nations subsequently

it.

Birds of prey have always been regarded as or

of Jove.

flaunting in triumph over

of the Byzantine

wings outstretched.

its

was always an emblem

from the Crusaders, as they superstitiously

emblem

and Egypt

eagle with

Emperors

may have been

omens

but perhaps the birds that were most venerated

of chivalry

were the swan and the peacock.

gather the most romantic associations, and we

may

good

the

Around these be quite sure

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and we meet with them continually Ages â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that there some touching or

whenever we meet with them in

relics of

chivalrous

the Middle story

connected with them.

period abound with references to the

The swan and

the peacock were

The romances

the

vowis of pecok and swan."

deemed

royal birds,

and emblems

HERALDIC DEVICES. The

royalty before prowess.

knights

God

knightly banquet was

being the principal dish.

and the skin afterwards sewn it,

" its

and

he plunged the knife

vow

his

On is

its

The

raising his

in,

without the peacock to roasting,

an old writer describes

crested head and neck upright,

fan-like tail spread out.

its

vowed

ever given

on, with, as

angel fethers bright,"

their

dedication or enterprise by the

was skinned previous

and

kings

warrior

great

made their solemn vows of Heaven and the royal birds.

who carved

knight

it,

hand on high above the

ere

dish,

peacock.

of the

the border of an old brass of the fourteenth century there

a representation of a peacock served up at a banquet, and a

knight making his vows.

This vow was either religious generally bound at the

similar

him

join

some crusade.

table would follow his example, and

The

vows.

feathers

were woven into a crown

and presented

himself,

future occasions

and

both,

and

Other knights

bind themselves by

plucked from the

for the minstrel

military,

who most

him by the queen

tail

the bird

distinguished

of beauty.

tournaments he wore

all

about his hat, as

a knight wore his lady's glove, or sleeve, or favour

his

helmet

at a joust.

find

the heraldic

broidery

examples

devices of

presumable

blazon

swan and the peacock mingled with

knights

and noble families

the em-

age of chivalry, and these facts give them a

the

They occur on

special interest. it

of the

this

represented

the border of the

Syon cope, and

and other cases that the knights whose

bound themselves by

religious

vows

peacock and swan.

The

Star of

Bethlehem often appears

connection with

them, overtopping the Islam badge of the crescent blazons

of the

Crusaders.

The swan was

also

moon on

the

employed as a F

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

34 symbol

and majestic beauty

of stainless purity

women, and was

therefore often represented in connection with the Virgin.

women's heads, and they often occur

are examples of swans with

on orphreys

There

the fourteenth century.

Lincoln there was a

cope having an orphrey set with swans of gold, and there are instances of shields supported by gold swans.

Other birds are frequently introduced symbolically.

Parrots

are represented in ecclesiastical work in connection with the wise

men

of the

Epiphany and

have whispered

Queen

to the

They were

from Sheba.

gifts

Sheba the doings

Wherever met

St. Paul's.

Solomon, and

They appear on

brought round their necks letters from him.

vestments of old

fabled to

the

with, they have an

Eastern significance, and denote wealth and greatness, with an

Solomon

the glory of

especial reference to

or the gifts of the

Magi. In mediaeval embroidery

were leopards of gold, black round

their

necks,

with

the favourite conventional devices trefoils,

chains

white harts having crowns

silver

gilt

;

Catherine

falcons, swans, stars, fieur-de-lys, archangels, lions,

moons,

peacocks,

dragons,

eagles

No doubt

leaves and flowers.

own and were not introduced and

displayed,

griflfins,

wheels, hearts,

and conventional

all

these had a meaning of their

into

a design without forethought

intention.

In "

"The Order

of Chivalry," published

Unto a knight

to signify

how

given a sword

by Caxton, we read

semblance

of a cross,

Christ vanquished death in the Cross, so likewise

a knight oweth to vanquish and destroy the enemies of the Cross

by the sword. " Chivalry

made

cut

both

maintain justice, sides,

therefore

signify

the

sword

bound,

The

iron, or

knight

with the sword, to maintain chivalry and justice. "

a knight

given a spear to signify truth.

HERALDIC DEVICES. head

the spear, signifieth strength, which truth ought to have

above falseness. "

The pennon,

sign that truth showeth to

all faith

and hath

;

no dread or fear of falseness or treachery. " Verity

sustaining

hope,

which

shewed

the

spear of the knight. "

The

Hat

Steel'

given

knight

to the

shamefastness, for a knight without shamefastness

signify

may

not be

oheysant to the order of chivalry. "

The hawberk

signifieth a

castle or fortress against vices

or defaults. "

Chauces

iron,

keep and hold surely "

" "

much "

harness, are

and

his legs

from

alone

trust affye,

The

or knife with a cross to

and

arms

his

a knight

peril.

given to signify the

lift

hands

his

God.

to trust in

shield

show that he ought

or strength, but he ought

" Gauntlets that he should touch

nor

feet

given

The spurs are given to signify diligence and swiftness. The gorget is given to signify obedience. The mace is given to signify strength of courage.

" Misericordi,

not

or leg

oflfice

of a knight.

foul or dishonest thing,

a false oath, but rather

lift

them up

thanking God. "

The

saddle signifies surety of courage, the charge and the

burden of chivalry. "

horse to signify noblesse of courage. bridle,

signify that

knight

ought

refrain

his

tongue, and speak no foul or false words, and also that he ought to

refrain

his

hands,

hardiness he should have attemper-

his

ance. " Reins, to signify that

Order

the knight ought to go wherever the

of Chivalry will lead or

send him. F 2

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

"A for

must

coat, in significance of the great travails he

suffer

honour and chivalry.

The banner

honour

and

of his lord

MSS.

and they are probable

of dress.

find

piece

illuminated

numerous examples

extremely useful

often

history

fashion prevailed very exten-

articles

Ages we

the Middle

century a

symbols on

sively of figuring

ought to maintain the

of his land."

fourteenth

the

to signify that a knight

date

the

fixing

work by the

old

of this,

and

decorations

employed. Blue and red were then, as now, the royal colours of England,

and we frequently meet with a seme

feathers on royal

ostrich

apparel and trappings, the ostrich feather

gold being one of

all

the badges of royalty.

The

ostrich

the chosen

feather, first

device

his

assumed by the Black Richard

son,

was

flags

and

his

for

II.,

Prince,

personal garments.

The of

Yorkists, and

the

and the white swan were the cognisance

ostrich feather

The broom-pod was

copes of the period.

and

Plantagenets,

white

The

which date

hart,

chain,

Richard

The

time.

park

white

falls

found

chiefly

orphreys and

the symbol of

conjunction

with

the the

and the sun's rays darting upward from behind a

hart,

cloud.

frequently figured

II.

with

crown on

its

neck, from of

the

emblem, indeed, was national

the

hart collared and

Richard's

royal

embroidery

occurs

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

frequently

green

lodged beneath

own emblem,

trees in a

so also the greyhound collared

and conrant.

This was the King's own dog Math, and a touch-

ing history

attached to

ornamental

favourite his

collars

it.

was the fashion

embroidered with gold, and

greyhound so arrayed used

two fore

feet

to array

on his shoulders.

caress

the

dogs

King's

him by placing

day that Richard

HERALDIC DEVICES. was dethroned, the dog

master and leaped to the Duke

his

left

caressing him as he formerly used to

of Lancaster's shoulders,

caress the King.

Math

This sycophant animals It

Duke as

heraldy to the end of the fifteenth century.

very curious to remark that

of Lancaster blazoned on a

Old

leopards.

regardant

leopardes"

"lions

and the

A of a

represented

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

the

leopards

the royal arms of the

frequently

suggest

heralds

banner the lions are represented

indeed,

writers,

Some

" leopards."

face,

frequently occurs with other emblematic

allude

the

that

English

termed

were

represented

full

lion in profile.

rampant has always been considered the

lion

the

passant

lions

arms,

being always

From

hero.

the

very earliest

time

that

emblem

possessed

they

C0AT-Cr-.>.7.i:3.

14th Century.

armorial lions

the sovereigns of England have always borne

insignia,

him the early heralds held "

Only when

early

on their royal shields.

his

walking and looking about

be acting the part of a leopard.

rampant attitude,"

Boutell

consider any lion to be a

heralds true

lion

name.

The

English

tells

lion,

us,

guished a

name

lion

bore

kings knew

only as an heraldic

the

and blazon him that

title,

a particular attitude, but drawn

lions

The animal

the attitude of their lions were heraldic leopards.

bearing the

" did

which in

distin-

every other

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

respect as other heraldic Hons, without spots or any leopardish distinctions whatever.'"

In "

The Shrewsbury Book,"

MS.

a Royal

superbly illumi-

nated, presented by Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury to Margaret of

Anjou

marriage

her

after

Henry

with

VI.,

embroidered banner bearing the arms

quartered, with a variation of the motto,

One of the

Plantagenets that

once crimson,

existence

embroidery

the jupon of the vest

padded with cotton, and quilted

into

his

tomb

at Canterbury.

for

such work in

gold.

tabards or surcoats of the knights of this period were rich

or cloth

silk

often, indeed, with

circumstance

the

some of

life

scarf, usually the

by her hand

and embroidered with the

family

which they belonged,

some

fanciful device symbolical of

the wearer. of

gift

was called the

this

;

gold,

noble

armorial devices of the

worn a

of heraldic

Droit."

embroidered with the arms of the Black Prince

It is

The made of and

mon

gamboised [ganiboise), as the term

longitudinal folds, is.

est

France

The

Black Prince, suspended over of velvet,

still

magnificent

England and

Dieu

most interesting examples

of the

his

Over the surcoat was

lady-love,

lac if amour

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

and embroidered

tie of love.

Ladies, indeed, often presented to a knight scarves, hoods, sleeves, dress.

own

mantles, and knots of ribbon detached from their

The

made

sleeves of the period were

bodice, and fastened to

by strings

;

hence they could be easily

age

In the tournaments of the

detached.

separate from the

of chivalry the

com-

batants wore embroidered badges, and shields of arms of the four juges-diseurs, or umpires, were distributed beforehand, and the

reward of

embroidered It

contest

the

was usually

carefully

covered

with

scarf.

may be

that

employed

capricious

decorations,

the

some

needlew'ork not

the of

escutcheons this

and

interesting

symbols

period

properly heraldic bearings.

are

Ladies

HERALDIC DEVICES. were

the

heralds

these

chivalrous

days,

and the beautiful

productions of their pliant needles, that soothed the cares and fears of long, lonely hours while their lords were absent in

Crusade, have outlived the

pious

The

memory

of their valiant deeds.

noble heroism of the Christian warrior

faded

bit

of stitchery that

symbolised

some

forgotten,

alone remains.

and the

CHAPTER

VI.

THE SYON COPE. The

most

Ages

beautiful relic of the

the Syon cope.

embroiderers' art of the Middle

undoubtedly the most remarkable

The

existing specimen of English mediaeval embroidery. of its preservation through

very remarkable.

all

history

the vicissitudes of the centuries

belonged to the monastery of Syon, founded

at Isleworth, Middlesex, by

Henry V.

The nuns

1414.

of Syon,

with the few relics which they saved at the dissolution, took refuge at

Here

Lisbon.

quakes, country. Earl

and,

their

after

convent

several

In 1825 the order

was twice destroyed by earth-

migrations,

was

still

they

returned

this

existing in Staffordshire.

The

Shrewsbury took the refugee nuns under

protection,

and

this, their

most precious

Earl of Shrewsbury generously bequeathed

occupies the place of honour

among

a convent near Coventry

the thirteenth centurv.

The ground

with interlaced barbed

quatrefoils, in

subject, the higher part of the

to the nation,

The and

Museum.

This beautiful ecclesiastical vestment in

relic.

the historical objects of art

collected together at South Kensington

of the

said to have been

cope

the second half of is

green, covered

each of which

a sacred

back having the Assumption, or

the Crowning of the Virgin, the Crucifixion below St.

especial

gratitude for the kindness he showed them they

presented to their benefactor

worked by nuns

his

it,

and beneath

Michael overcoming the Dragon, the Apostles, and winged

THE SYON COPE. Cherubim standing on wheels. of shields trious

The orphreys

are two broad bands

charged with the armorial bearings

English

emblazoned

families,

shields.

and bordered

with

The morse and hem

armorial bearings worked

our most

illus-

narrow band

are also wrought with

gold and silver and various coloured

Part of the Orphrey of the

silks.

Syon Cope.

English (13th Century).

There was formerly an inscription on the hem, which has

been cut up, and only two or three heraldry, swans

letters

and peacocks are wrought

remain.

Besides the

at the corners,

deeply interesting on account of their symbolism.

The

which are star,

the

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

swan had each

crescent, the peacock, the

worked with the needle

figures are

much

The

faded.

The zigzag

are

The

silk

of various hues,

now

devices are worked in cross-stitch.

heraldic

diapers

own meaning.

its

the

class

laid

opus

stitches,

pulvinariiim. All

the

present figures

new

and the

style

example

wonderful

this

Gothic art of the period are

characteristics of the

portions

raised

are

ancient perfect

mechanism

needlework and

The

peculiarity of this

consisted

won

that

of for

itself

opus Aiiglicanum."

work, which long puzzled archaeologists,

the use of a fine split-stitch, so arranged as to give

the appearance of the

examples

that

from admiring Christendom the appellation of

The

stitchery.

This

a bas-relief.

especially noticeable in

modelling of faces and nude parts of the figure delineated.

working the figures the stitches

of the

further

cheek and worked

had

side

straight

when they

throughout

lines

begun

the centre

circular, not straight, lines, until

been reached,

flowing

were

the

fell

rest

naturally

the

the into

figure.

This was a sort of chain stitch throughout, and then a simple

mechanical appliance produced the effects of

and shade.

was pressed

into the parts of the face

was required. of light

thin iron rod with a sm.all knob,

and pressing out by

effected,

this

and hollows to the figure

light

slightly heated,

and figure where elevation

and the working

in circular lines,

mechanical process, gave distinct ;

relief

not the face only, but the dress and

extremities were wrought in the

draperies are worked

The orphreys

and

these hollows, thus permanently sunk, a play

and shadow was

The

relief

same manner.

feather stitch {opus plumariuni).

are not so old as the body of the cope.

the armorial bearings are those of knights

Probably

who bound themselves

by a solemn vow, exemplified by the swan and the peacock, to fight against the

Moslem, and

this

would account

for the

presence

THE SYON COPE. swan and the peacock, the

of the

the promise of the Saviour, "

The symbol

star."

and the crescent, close

star

The

on the orphrey of the cope.

their blazons

the

star

had reference

bright

and morning

had a deeper meaning, sym-

at this time

bolising not only our Lord himself, but His gospel

The

were directed.

symbol

its

was an

ecclesiastical

emblem

fulness.

"The

eye-speckled

feathers,"

Osmont

writer,

never too

own

his

grown, changes

full is

cygnet

the

tion

plumage

period

preserved

was found secrated

outline on

white

Worcester red silk

silk

;

wrought

work

resembles

preserved a

This

(1236). It

tomb

the

being

Anglo-

warn a man that

wide

and gaze

open,

workings."

secret

its

when

bird,

;

us that

man, who

becomes by regenera-

sin,

adorned with the garb of innocence.

Another interesting example

apart

watch-

wrote

to intense white

darkened by the blackness of

first

duty

dusky hue, the

the

we have already

a liturgical garment reminds

always

its

should

and know

from

light

the so

eyes

his

heart,

The symbolic swan upon while

cleric,

can he have

often

inwardly upon

the

symbolical

The peacock,

knightly vow, of which

of the

spoken,

Norman

her

getting

but

first,

with the lamb,

and growing larger day by day.

true Sun,

from

moon

crescent

Church, small

of the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Christianity

Mahometanism, against which the crusades

contradistinction to

the cathedral library at Worcester.

Walter de Cantilupe, who was con-

of in

1236.

gold

thread

Bayeux

remnant in

the

stitch.

flat

tapestry. of

worked

Also

gold on purple

(thirteenth century)

dark red being

figures

The canopy Worcester

cope of William

Bois

silk.

has been claimed that the beautiful cope of

Rome

work between the outlines

the in

hands

faces and

worked

work

this

the rest

the

beautiful

all

small is

the

;

of the

English embroidery.

St.

Sylvester

The Gothic G

;

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

canopy work, the cherubim on wheels, the

style of the shrine or

angels

gold

clothed

was one

Rome, about

the fine split-stitch,

feathers,

drawing, are

this

on the continent, and specimens had found

Even

foreign courts.

are

(1246),

very

told

our garden

and where

there

the abbots of

for his choir

His

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

catalogue of subjects

thence

may much

were despatched to

England, and they were

nothing

for

later

benefactions to various the

a well inexhaustible

letters

official

nativity,

represented upon them.

the

made,

England

they could

We may

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

date,

in vain.

enumerates

and

his

vestments with

churches,

passion,

yet, at

be quite sure

age the Pope's request was not made

Anastasius,

librarian,

" Truely,

from

events, to purchase things so estimable.

that in that pious

most

some

were

they

abundance,

great

Cistercian order

the

urged to procure

sooth

Accordingly,

be extracted."

all

into

ecclesiastics

where

inquired

delight,

the

England, he exclaimed

way

their

prized

Pope Innocent IV.

that

Paris

copes

the

orphreys,

desirable

and being is

time highly

they were very greatly admired.

Matthew

informed by observing

Rome

over to

sent

thirteenth century, by order of

were at

orphreys

the

English.

distinctly

all

vestments

English

the

the middle of the

English

Pope.

the

and the

grounding,

Probably

peacocks'

the

resurrection,

Doubtless these were English orphreys.

There are special characteristics by which the English work

may be

identified, the peculiar process of

limbs into

The

shrine

with hot irons, the peacock feather wings of the

relief

angels, the

moulding the faces and

seraphim on a wheel, the beautiful gold grounding.

work

of the design

also a noticeable feature, the Gothic character

unmistakable, the

pillars

being often formed of

twined stems bearing vine leaves, oak leaves, and acorns.

Reference

made

the Librate Roll of

Edward

the beautiful III.,

Gothic

shrine

where a garment

work

for the

King

THE SYON COPE. is

described

tabernacles

as of

being gold.

inwrought

The

with

tabernacles

45 pelicans,

were

images,

and

niches,

with

pinnacles and roofs."

Perhaps the most conclusive evidence faces of the figures.

and

all

the

men

English

afforded

work the face

are clean shaven round the

by the

Our Lord

mouth and upper

Dalmatic of the Fifteenth Century.

This was a purely English custom.

lip.

beard

In Continental

allowed to grow into the moustache, and

work the

represented

as closely surrounding the mouth.

The term Dalmatic

applies to an ecclesiastical vestment, in

the shape of a long robe or super tunic, with short sleeves, partly

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

46 open

the sides, which

times

— from

was the custom

In early

for the

Pope

who

dalmatic as a privilege on bishops,

turn to their deacons.

—

the fourth century

to confer the use of the

granted

worn over the chasuble.

Later, the privilege of wearing

the dalmatic under the chasuble was granted to abbots, and finally

conceded

when

kings and emperors, both at their coronation, and

The dalmatic formed

assisting at high mass.

part of the

coronation robes of the kings of England at a very early date.

King John, and Richard II., coronation, and Henry VI. is said

Richard their

"as a bishop

on this occasion

Dalmatian

white

(whence

with purple stripes

silk,

become

have

origin

less

extant

descriptions

the

have been attired

should

that

dalmatic and a stole about his neck." of

wore dalmatics on

all

I.,

sing

mass, with a

Originally this vestment,

composed

was

name),

but afterwards the colour seems

;

specimens

arbitrary,

there

dalmatics

purple, crimson,

are

blue,

and

gold tissue, covered with costly embroidery, like the one represented

our illustration.

The chasuble is

the part of the ecclesiastical costume which

worn by the Catholic clergy

archbishop

—

broidered or to be

saying

— from the

mass.

priest

shows a large em-

generally

emblematical of Christ's sufferings.

round opening

the

was

centre,

head was passed, covering nearly the whole lifted

up by the arms.

Bayeux

still

with the

preserved its

a peak.

at first perfectly

through which the figure,

except when

the eleventh century, as shown in the

was made much shorter

The chasuble

Thomas

in front,

a Becket,

the Cathedral of Sens, shows ample folds, and

peaks descended to the mid-leg before and behind.

sixteenth

sequence

tapestry, the chasuble

and terminated

to the

cross on the back, and a pillar in front, designed

gilt

circular, with a

and deacon

century the

the

change

sides of

had

material

be reduced

from

silk

con-

thickly

THE SYON COPE.

embroidered cloth of gold, and, instead of draping chasuble now sat

folds, the

and

behind.

Our

illus-

the

front

shows

tration

fiat

and

graceful

on the wearer before

stiffly

part of a chasuble of this kind.

embroidery

introduced,

was

mixture of

opus pliininriii in

the old

new

with a

the

century a new

thirteenth style

end

the

style of needle-

work and mechanism.

known on

This was

Continent under the

the

name

distinctive lish

work."

was made effects

attempt

produce the

has

reliefs

embroidered

the

"Eng-

figures,

which were represented flat

stitches in medallions

with

beautiful

sometimes

with

foliage,

golden

grounds.

The gold

original

laid

stitches

permeated

ground as

the material the

ance

the

to give

Chasuble, Si.xteenth Century.

appear-

being woven with gold thread.

some instances the

flowers on this gold embroidery are produced in jeweller's

with real stones.

Spangles

seem

have

been

work

used at quite

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

an early period to give brilliancy of the

worked

often

are

figures

stitches, the faces

and limbs

outlines in black.

The

effect.

basket-work and thickly

laid

a split-stitch, with finely drawn

and shadowy parts

hair

draperies of

of the draperies

gold and silver thread, with dark outlines.

most beautiful work of the Gothic type

All the

of the four-

teenth and fifteenth centuries, before the Renaissance crept over

Europe.

Early

the fourteenth

The

very beautiful English work.

century we have examples of

com-

subjects are generally in

partments surrounded by twining branches of

foliage,

generally

oak, of remarkable beauty and execution.

Much

work

of the

Flemish schools

may

being distinctly

details of the

period attributed to Italian and

of this

be identified by the foliage introduced, oak

English

decoration

and the architectural

;

tabernacle work, which are generally very minutely

The

rendered, bearing the impress of an Earlv English character. careful rendering

of the

minutest details of Gothic tracery

special feature of this early work.

ment

given

for

embroiderer's art

the is

careful

That there was great encourage-

and painstaking practice

down

evident from the values handed

the

to us in

the old Rolls of the period.

Henry

In the Librate Roll, 24 of a

payment

Bishop

;^24

of Hereford,

for the royal chapel.

money

is.

and

6d. for a 1

(fifteen times greater

cope

for

III.

of red silk given

than at that period)

paid as large a

made

to the "

chesables

to the present increased value of

Hereford's cope would have cost ÂŁ'^61

Edward

(1241), a mention

two embroidered

for

According

III.

sum

the

Bishop

2s. 6d.

140 (now equal t0;;/^2ioo)

a vest of velvet embroidered with divers work for his

chaplain.

Some

idea of the great

number

own

of ecclesiastical vest-

ments worked by English ladies before the Reformation may be gained

by looking over the catalogues

church embroideries

THE SYON COPE. which were preserved

the cathedrals of York, Lincoln, London,

and Peterborough. Lincoln alone were upwards

wrought with divers kinds

manner

we cannot help being struck with the splendour

the bald

They

these ancient vestments.

terms

silk.

which they were described

inventories

and gold, upon

of needlework, jewellery

Indian baudekyn, samit, tarterain, velvet, and

Even

hundred vestments,

of six

"an

orphrey "

descriptions of

are constantly spoken of in

goodly needlework," and we read

knights jousting, lions fighting, amices barred

with amethysts and pearls "

;

the altar embroidered with

veils for

a representation of the Holy Trinity and twelve Apostles

The Bishop

around whose heads were sewn pearls. bequeaths to the

(1310)

such

cathedral

embroidered with many small images

ornamented with small pearls and

vestment

Durham

gold,

red

samit,

of saints standing in circles,

silk

;

and an alb

same

of the

work with gold platys about the edge, surrounded with small pearls of divers colours. It is

way

to foreign lands,

held

where

high estimation

Bishop

Ages.

John,

special

bequest

orfrais."

work found

certain that a great deal of this beautiful

1360

was much

the Latin church

of Marseilles,

his

pri.'ied,

alb

Cardinal

that

wrought

Talairand

embroideries on a costly set of vestments raine of the

same period bequeaths

speaks ;

was

made

(1345) with of

the

and a Bishop

his

through the Middle

his will

was

all

and that

its

English English

Tour-

cathedral a cope of

beautiful old English work.

CHAPTER MATERIALS EMPLOYED

VII.

MEDIEVAL EMBROIDERY.

" Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful."

Sam IT was chivalry

and romance.

brightness,

And

again

refers to

old

Rime

silk

of Sir

it,

of the

Rose

" :

merry thought,

Thopas

he speaks of

slit

MSS.

illuminated

in front,

the

being

Knights

period.

see

Its

old

exsamit, shortened to samit, and the origin of

number

of threads in the

was woven probably

The web was wrought

whether

happened

first

warp of

England

so thick and strong

six threads, while the weft

hemp

was

silk

entirely of flat

much affected by early Kings and Queens, and mention is made of it until time of Elizabeth. The wardrobe of Edward I. was so rich in

gold

the

of samit

reference to the

that each string,

our

The Romaunt

and sewn with golden ornaments.

armour robes

with solid gold wire.

dazzling

samette, with birdes wrought.

the texture, six-threaded.

the warp, had

in "

name was

name had

young he was, and

pictures and

Byzantine the

their

fabric

the knights and courtiers of the Middle

Full

the "

excellence of the age of

was a shining

And

embroidered with

wore over

much worn by

Chaucer

Ages.

par

the material

distinctly

shreds.

This cloth of gold was very

that the nobles were allowed to

In the " Antiquarian

Repertory"

buy

out of the Royal stores.

a record of the cloth of gold

2, 3, Bronze Needles (Pre-historic). Bronze Needle (Pagan Saxon). Found near Mildenhall, Suffolk. P'g^- 5. 6, Bronze Needles (Roman). Found in Cambridgeshire.

Figs.

Fig. 4,

Fig.

Bronze Needle, the head of an unusual form, prolonged beyond the

eye,

which

small and oblong, for two-thirds of an inch, and expands into a thin plate with a square end.

Found

at Haslingfield,

F"ig. 8,

Cambridgeshire.

Bronze Thimble (Roman).

Post-Roman.

Found

in the

was evidently worn on the thumb. Early Bronze Thimble (Saxon). Found

neighbourhood

Cambridge.

From

un\isual size, this Fig. 9, .'\11

these objects ai^ in the

Museum

at Chesterford, near

Cambridge.

General and Local Archajology

Cambridge.

the

MATERIALS FOR MEDI/EVAL EMBROIDERY. ordered by Richard set of

coronation.

III. for his

vestments presented to the altar of

Duchess

were

of Clarence

Henry

was

was buried

III.

diapered brocade, which was in

1429 a sumptuous

Albans by Margaret

St.

of " samette," set with precious stones

and exquisitely embroidered. with a pattern.

still

diapered

read,

a wrapping of beautifully

entire

often,

when

was opened

his coflfin

Cloth of gold, according to the old English

1871.

allowed to be taken for white, when that colour was

ritual,

named

was

for use in

the rubric. " Ciclatoun, shortened to cyclas, sometimes spelt " siglaton

or " siklatoun,"

was a

similar material, lighter in

its

texture, but

Cendel, or sandall, was a less costly

very bright and shining.

and somewhat thinner material

of silken stuff with

golden threads.

many

In the " Roll of Caerlaverock," in 1300,

rich caparisons

are mentioned embroidered upon cendal and samit. of

Ijncoln

with

hoisted his

banner made of yellow cendal blazoned Flags and

rampant purpre.

a lion

were made of cendal

and cendal.

Piers

And

and other vestments being made

Ploughman

born ladies of his day

banners at this time

Frequent mention occurs of

silk.

old inventories of albs

Lacy Earl

employment

speaks of the

poem

in his delightful

{circa

ye lovely ladies, with your long fyngres silk and sandal to sowe, when tyine

That ye have

it,

too, in

of samit

of high-

Edward

III.)

is,

Chesibles for chapeleyns. Chinches to honoure.

De Fundata

network like

of gold,

was another name given

used about

a fisherman's net.

this time.

specimen of

an Archbishop of York buried Fustian,

to a cloth, or rather

was woven

was found

of pure gold,

the grave of

the seventeenth century.

kind of cotton plush,

also

mentioned

the

thirteenth century.

Buckram, an Asiatic

fabric,

was often woven with cotton.

was a kind It

of silken plush, but

mentioned frequently

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

and thirteenth centuries.

inventories of the twelfth

much used

times called fustian, and was

and

of dress.

Anne Boleyn's gowns and mantles were

hangings of a richer material, and articles

lining

a tiny jacket

Queen Elizabeth Satin

Mary.

Rome

long before

The Lady

century,

and

of silk

Chaucer

cushion.

satin

the

are of

thirteenth

frequent mention

described as sitting on a throne

covered with flame-coloured

of rushes

ballad

East

the

early examples of

the Fountain," there

King Arthur

satin.

was used

Welsh

The

embroidered on thick blue

The

reached England.

crimson colour.

a fiery

it.

the baby clothes prepared by

and has never been transferred.

satin,

with

lined

mentioned about the fourteenth century.

dalmatic of Charlemagne

red

among

for her sister

is first

some-

domestic purposes,

for

for sheets,

There

refers

and supported by a

satin,

" satin

riche and

newe." Silk

and the date in

was brought

first

— as

examples

The

less

from the East at a very early time,

which we have any clearly ascertained

that found on the

character.

to us

body

silk tissues of

Oriental

the Middle

design, often

—are

of St. Cuthbert

Ages

are

figured with

antelopes, parrots, and with mottoes and inscriptions

objects

Sometimes they are described as

— that

is,

peacocks, in

Testament

— once

only,

Apocalypse, where dise that

St.

was brought

Ezekiel,

translators

and again have

the

including as

ouvrage d^oultre

the style of the Levant.

There are very few

indeed,

we now conventionally term Byzantine, was described

Saracenic.

mer

all,

woven

Everything that had an Oriental appearance,

fabric.

Byzantine

allusions to

indeed,

John

silk

the

New

the Old

and

Testament,

New the

reckoning up the costly merchan-

ships to the mighty city.

Proverbs

;

but

It is

mentioned

both these places the

misunderstood the original

Hebrew.

Probably

MATERIALS FOR MEDI/EVAL EMBROIDERY. linen

was

describing

silk

fine

meant.

Virgil

sort

makes a very curious mistake,

herbaceous

growing upon

fleece

trees.

Taffetta

was a thinner and

costly

less

Sarcenet, which frequently occurs

in old

than cendal.

stuff

inventories,

began

the

fifteenth century to take the place of cendal.

Camoca, generally used

and

" his large

was

very

draping beds of state,

The Black Prince bequeaths

vestments.

bed of red camora

" with his

arms embroidered

each corner, and another bed of camora powdered with blue

eagles.

camek,

camora,

the fourteenth century

in ecclesiastical

his will,

described

often

was extensively used

purposes. silk,

was probably an agreeable material

working upon,

for

at this period for a variety of decorative

was an Asiatic

fabric

woven

and

of fine camel's hair

preceding the soft cashmere of a later time.

Of velvet we have no mention

The

century.

was practised

art of velvet in

until the

end

weaving originated

France long before

the thirteenth

the East, and

reached England.

was

a favourite material with Royalty, and for robes of state, and was

used extensively all

the

examples

old

applique.

in liturgical

vestments, and for altar cloths.

that

are

preserved

the

embroidery

Velvet, having a shifting surface, was difficult to work

upon, so the design was worked upon some other material, such as linen, canvas,

edges

being

silk,

usually

afterwards cast over

or vellum,

bound {e)i

and sewn upon the

{galonner)

with

cord,

guipure) with gold or

silver

velvet, the

which was tambour.

Diaper was a term originally applied to a silken fabric find a

mention of

characteristic

so early as the eleventh century.

was that by the arrangement

Its

;

special

warp and woof,

both of the same tone of colour, a design could be produced on the

web which had

the appearance of being raised in relief above

the seemingly dusky ground.

Cloth of gold was diapered with

54 designs

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

this

way.

Exeter

Cathedral,

an inventory dated

1277, had a cope of white diaper with half moons, and St. Paul's

Cathedral one with parrots done

green.

Figured Silk, Fourteenth Century.

The meaning of the word diaper gradually widened, came to be used when the same pattern or ornament was or

when

the

so that

repeated,

pattern was sprinkled or powdered over the surface.

MATERIALS FOR MEDIEVAL EMBROIDERY. Embroidery

The

Middle Ages.

canum was

gold was very

imitate diaper in

ground

beautiful golden

usually dotted

general

the

Opus Angli-

the

This

over with a repeating pattern.

all

apparently mechanical method was capable of infinite variety, and

formed the most effective backgrounds, and that

examples

different

had some beautiful vestments made

Old

diaper.

In the inventory of 1295 a

Paul's

very remarkable

work the same diapers seldom

of old

appear.

St.

cope of white diapers

men-

tioned covered with trees and diapered birds, of which the heads,

and

breasts,

Baudekin

thread. nicles

gold

name

shot

with

of baldakin.

Worsted

coloured

other coloured

silk

often

was much worn on

Cloth

silks.

state occasions.

Norfolk produced a soft woolly fabric known as

domestic purposes.

fourteenth

mentioned under the

-worsted, of which vestments were made, and for

chro-

old

gold

than any other material.

writers

gold, or with

were woven

flowers,

more frequently mentioned

shot with

silk

the

well

and by mediaeval

a rich of

feet,

mentioned

where there

century,

worsted embroidered, and

an old

bequest

was much used

will

of a

the

bed of red

cushions of best red worsted."

Technique.

remarkable, when we

It is

little

variety there

come

stitches.

examine them

The

closely,

design, the

materials

employed, vary from age to age, but the stitches are but

changed

they have

come down

to us

and we employ them now, the selfsame

what

little

from the earliest times stitches, with little or

variation.

The grouping direction

the

separate stitches

stitch,

whether short

straight, or upright or crossed,

the variety.

They

are

all

together, or

long,

make what we

the length or or

slantinsf

are pleased to term

performed with one implement.

The

;

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

down

needle has been handed

made

has been

of various materials

Paleolithic cave-dwellings

gold and bronze, but It

;

has varied

Long Crandon

valued

Gammer The

of a

Cambridge,

stitches

Opus Opus Opus Opus Opus Opus

met with

first

They were the

that that

1566.

so the

loss of

was performed

was

entitled,

embroidery of the Middle Ages

we have any

may

Plumarium Consutum

Plumage, or Feather Work. Applique, or Cut Work.

Pulvinarium Pectineum

Woven,

Phrygium

Passing, or Gold

Filatorium

Lace, or

Cushion, or Shrine

Feather work [Opus plmnariiini)

Work.

Comb Work.

Work. Darned Work.

the earliest work of which

record, perhaps from the reason that the materials

were ever at hand.

Feathers used entire, or woven into a web to

form a ground, were employed later period the feathers

or gold thread.

The

purposes of decoration, and

for

were supplemented by needlework

ancient workers

for

like the

plumage

in silk

embroidered.

The Opus pliimariuni was the general term employed The stitches were time for what we now call embroidery. lengthwise (never across), and

at a

feathers were called Plii-

and pliimata (feathered) was another term

another

;

Gurton's Needle."

be classed under the following heads

viarii,

fishes

They were

comedy

the

century that we

England.

Elizabeth,

and

;

form.

Buckinghamshire.

was the subject

College,

Christ's

made

reign

the

village needle

little in

not until the middle of the sixteenth

highly

of stone, as found

of the bones of animals

hear of steel needles being

made

from pre-historic times

to us

so arranged as

at this laid

overlap

one

of a bird.

All flat stitches are included

under the term plumage work

the stitches not being counted, only laid on at

freedom and scope to the worker.

will,

give more

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

MATERIALS FOR MEDI/EVAL EMBROIDERY. Edward

Lythington, Abbot of Croyland, gave

church nine copes of cloth of gold, exquisitely feathered

to his

that

IV. 's time

;

embroidered

is,

in imitation of feathers.

The Opus pectineum was

kind of woven work

and used as such.

of embroidery,

was wrought with the

assistance of a comb-like instrument; hence the

This work was very

(comb-wrought).

loom by women, and several examples

imitation

name

may

pectineum

done

skilfully

small

be seen at South

Kensington Museum.

Opus piilvinarium (cushion work) tabernacle work,

This stitch lends

itself

ventional patterns and mosaics

done

;

hence the

" point

French

geometrical and con-

well to

a great deal of Eastern work

mediaeval embroidery

it.

cross or canvas stitch covering square spaces,

counted by threads of the fabric comptee."

often applied to shrine

was used mostly

foi

cushion work, being a coarse, strong kind of stitchery for kneeling

upon, or holding the books at the heraldic devices, for which

altar.

well

Cope

consutum appears only

are

worked

It is

it.

the

worked on the

such as bed furniture and hangings of rooms

often called " ballings."

Figures were very often represented out of

generally found mixed with embroidery, especially

large pieces,

hence

for

Some

have been employed

principal parts of the design, the accessories being

ground.

adapted

was extensively employed.

the arms on the border of the Sion Opu'\

was

silk, satin,

;

they were shaped

and sewn on the ground, and

velvet, or linen,

the features were afterwards worked by the needle in very narrow lines

done

extremities

edging

silk or

were

fine

painted.

thread.

At times the features and

Sometimes

was

framed with an

of silk or gold thread, or leather, exactly like the leadings

of a stained-glass

window.

The

were shown by thin lines worked

body

features and outlines of the in

brown

silk.

The edge where I

;

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

58 the figure

sewn on the ground

The shading

cord.

covered with a

was sometimes put

of the figures

or gold

silk

with a

brush instead of needlework, while the small accessories were

all

embroidery.

The

faces, the flesh,

and the clothing were often done

in silk,

cut out, shaded, and the features indicated in colours with a

The

needlework.

invention of this beautiful and effective work

has been attributed to the Florentine is

said that he used

employed on one There

evidence that

was so employed, but there

was practised

other.

abundant

England nearly a century before

was very

used

effectively

the sixteenth

Beautiful arabesques, after the

century for wall hangings.

made

Botticelli.

show through on the

should not

side

the time of Botticelli.

that Raphael

Sandro

artist,

for banners, with the intent that the colours

no doubt that

little

manner

so popular, were cut out in velvet and silk and

brocade, and applied on rich grounds with every variety of stitch.

There are some notable examples

The term Opus designate this and

consiitum

was employed

work)

(cut

work wrought by

all

existence.

it still

itself

upon canvas, and

1295 we meet with the

sewn on

to another ground.

term

an inventory of the vestments belonging to

The

Cathedral. only

not

entry

of St.

Opus

Paul's," occur

pulvinariiiin

;

work

of the nature

inventory, which

this

a very interesting one, as

of the

description

methods employed, but In

early as

the

cut work,

period

the

and variety

may be found Opus

pliiuiariiini

Consiitum de

St.

gives us

and

of the

of the stitches.

Dugdale's ;

Paul's

History

Opus pectineum serico, or " deserico

consuto." Ingulph, speaking of the hangings of the Church of Croyland, in

describes

gold,

into

the

them as being ornamented with

and sewed on cut work stuff.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; others

bishop preaching

birds

with the

the fourth

wrought

birds

woven

century,

up-

MATERIALS FOR MEDI/EVAL EMBROIDERY.

braided his people for " arraying themselves like painted walls, with beasts and flowers

a more serious

over them, while others, pretending

all

dressed

tone,

the doings and w^onders

of all

with

clothes figured

These pictures

Lord."

of our

pictures

and were wrought

were necessarily on a small scale,

out-

embroidery,

and

line.

Opus Phrygium golden

work),

(gold

were just

outlines

gold

flat

and, later,

invented,

a thick raised

gold thread was used to imitate goldsmith's work, carvings, or

The

jewellery.

employed

The

the

obtained

age

this

artists

quantity

Thus we see

nursing golden

angels

nimbed

with

twist of

silk

babes,

another,

work.

are

often

They were

and crescents, and

great.

was

materials.

and golden

crowns,

was too

rich

taught him to use

Gold

for

his

generally

the

costly

was seldom used

wound round a small

of metal.

form of bugles, beads, pastes

imitation of jewels, with this golden

Spangles

tion.

was very

sometimes even cord or twine was used,

or flax,

Glass occurs also mosaics,

not

sparingly.

whipped over with a thread

for

stones

golden grounds, and gilded

Nothing

Art had

wire-drawn form,

solid

precious

costly

golden

with

gold."

and

wisely

splendour

abundance

kings

gilded

embroiderer's use.

and

gold,

barbaric

virgins

materials

silver,

day believed that rich effects could only be use

the

gold

met with cut into a rings,

silver in

sewn

examples

variety

rows,

of forms

and sometimes

this

and

[siiialti)

ornamentabeside

one

curious

old

sizes,

stars

solid pieces of gold.

curious custom prevailed of presenting the garments worn

by royalty on state occasions to cathedrals and churches.

whole set of Mass vestments at Windsor were made out of

the crimson and gold cloth powdered with birds, the bridal dress of

a royal princess.

Queen Philippa gave

to the

Bishop of Ely the 1

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

gown she wore Prince.

powdered

her churching

described as being of

with

golden

three copes for the rich

squirrels,

rode

coronation

;

also a

state

gown

vestments were made.

birth

murrey

and so ample

choir use.

mantle of cloth of gold he

after the

St.

the

Black

coloured velvet, that

made

Alban's was given the

and velvet that Henry V. wore

through of green

London and gold

the

day before

velvet, out of

his

which

St.

Elizabeth of Hiingary Tapestry Panel of the Sixteenth Century.

CHAPTER

VIII.

DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY OF THE MIDDLE AGES. In the age of chivalry

all

domestic decorations began to assume

Carpets were spread over the rushes on the

greater refinement.

and walls were hung with embroidered hangings, and rude

floor,

The

benches and tables were covered with dainty needlework.

chancels of country parish churches used to be spread with rushes the introduction of carpets.

until

Mention

bequest by an abbot to his church at

woven with

cloths

made "

days of the Apostles."

all

made

Arras

until

fourteenth

the

walls of our

Tapestry was

century,

all

earlier

Wall painting

have been contemporaneous with tapestry, and hangings

wrought by the needle.

was the custom,

the absence of

needlework, to paint the walls with historical subjects.

of a

two large foot

The damp, bare

pictured hangings were the products of the needle.

seems

992

over with flowers,

English castles demanded some kind of hangings. not

be laid out before the high altar on

lions, to

great festivals, and two shorter ones trailed for the feast

Croyland of

find the

Bishop of Lichfield commanding the great

131

hall of his

episcopal palace to be painted with the coronation, marriages, wars,

and funeral

to this

custom

of his patron.

King Edward

of mural paintings

And

soth to faime

my chambre was

Ful well depainted

And

again

all

the wals with colours fine.

the wals old portraiture

Of horsemen, hawkis, and houndis.

Chaucer

refers

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

The

subjects depicted by the brush were portrayed

less

skilful

manner by the

and

needle,

a more or

by the lovely pro-

later

ductions of the looms of Arras.

The designs and rude, as we

hangings were often unskilled

these early

see

Bayeux tapestry

the

from

but

;

descriptions preserved to us in ancient inventories and State

and

the rolls,

the pages of poets and historians, they must have been

very bold and spirited.

The Anglo-Norman

ladies,

dames

the Grecian

old,

were accustomed to embroider the exploits of their husbands and

kinsmen on the hangings

of their

Andromache, Homer

chambers. the

us, at

tells

moment

of distress apprised her of the death of Hector,

chamber a

was working

secret apartment

purple, which she

had ornamented with various

less during the

her high

found her chief consolation lord.

flowers.

walls,

Doubther lofty

mediaeval matron

the

representing the heroic deeds of her

There were few other amusements

could while away the long lonely hours, or

which she

which her talents

Apart from the exercise

could be employed.

the

cloth resplendent with

stormy days of the Crusades, shut up

chamber, within her gloomy castle

absent

that the cries

hawking,

was

probably her only recreation.

The women

the Middle

embroidered history.

Deeds

Ages may be of

chivalry

well said to

provided

have

them with

endless subjects, and the romances of the period, though they

sometimes chose more ambitious themes from the of

Greece and Rome.

subject skilful

;

the whole of

needlework

;

The Tale

the

Iliad,

classic histories

Troy was a very favourite are told,

was wrought

the story of Arthur and the Knights of the

Round Table, and their wondrous achievements, clothed the walls The subjects were of many a lady's bower with romantic history. generally explained by short lines, or mottoes in Provencal or old

DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY.

Often the hangings were decorated alone with metrical

French.

descriptions, called Proverbs.

In Jubinal's beautiful collection of

we see how general

ancient tapestries

names

explaining the subject, but often

and beneath the

figures,

this

custom was, not only

upon the

are embroidered

and across the towns and

buildings,

rivers

to identify them.

Domestic embroidery was, doubtless, factor

Young

the walls. in skilful

sure,

time an important

Moral and

the progress of civilisation.

we may be

at this

were taught by the

dumb

religious lessons,

pictures that clothed

noble families were trained

girls of

nunneries

embroidery, not only as an accomplishment, but a house-

There was so

hold duty.

little

and that so very

furniture,

bare, in

the Middle Ages, that needlework was the only refinement possible to

make a home

and benches, and chairs

and

chair in a room,

canopy

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;gave

hangings thrown over tables

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;-there

was generally only one

stood beneath an embroidered

often

the effect of splendour, which at a later time was its

sister arts.

formed the dining

table,

plain

was thrown a

coverlet,

rich

" bancaria

Cushions seem to have been

bareness.

and

earliest time,

all

(fauteuil),

remedy the want

find

" ;

curtain, this

The

and

this

and over

concealed

use from

old illuminated manuscripts

ornamented with embroidery. " faldestol "

board laid upon

and an ordinary bench or form

Behind the bench was suspended a

the seat.

buildings,

rich

state

this

supplied by carving and trestles,

The

beautiful.

seat of state

the

quite the find

them

was known as the

always had a rich covering.

accommodation

for seating visitors in ancient

a stone seat projecting from the wall, running

sometimes round the room, and divided by arches into compart-

ments

accommodate two

more persons

for

convenience of

conversation. In the

wardrobe accounts of Edward

II.

mention

made

an order given to a mercer of London, "for a green hanging of

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

wool woven with figures of kings and earls upon

it,

for the king's

service on solemn feast days in London."

"Tapestry verd

was the name given

to wall

hangings

of a

blue-green colour, representing woodland scenes, landscapes, and figures,

and animals, the chase being a very favourite subject.

Chaucer makes frequent mention

Wall hangings were not

of these.

There was no glass

only a luxury at this time, but a necessity.

used for windows, even by the wealthy,

When

the

window spaces were not

designed to be

shaved horn,

until

open, as they were really

left

Norman and

our old

parchment,

the fifteenth century.

early English architecture,

mica was used as a substitute

for

glass.

The in

very

mention of glass being used

first

a register of

any record were

The

1239. at

first

windows

glass

Hexham Abbey

England occurs

which we have

Northumberland

were made by some French workmen who brought the

They were

England.

so very

they could only be used

The

first

costly

art

several centuries

for

that

palaces and churches.

windows used

glass

these

;

England were so made that

they could be taken out of their frames, and carried about by their

owner when he travelled from one place houses the grooves

may

still

be seen

In ancient

to another.

the stonework

windows where the frames that contained the glass were

late

1573,

when the

Earl

general use

of their

Until the reign of Charles

the

fitted in.

Northumberland

Alnwick Castle, the windows were taken out laid carefully by.

left

frames and

they were not

middle class houses.

fashion for rich stuffs for coverings for tables and benches

prevailed in the fourteenth century.

and devices

Velvet emblazoned with arms

heavy gold embroidery was extensively used. Above

the seat of honour, generally on a raised velvet, or

some

dais,

was a canopy

rich material elaborately embroidered.

liiulii

uideicd Canopy, provided by Ring's College un the occasion of

(Jueen Elizabeth's

Preserved

visit

the Arch;ÂŁological

Cambridge, 1564.

Museum, Cambridge.

DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY.

Tables were, from a quite early time, covered by a cloth of

some kind

these cloths were called carpets, or carpett, as

;

spelt in the old inventories, to distinguish

or floor covering.

The

resting on trestles

;

before the sixteenth "

carpett

used at

them from the

tables they covered were often find very few carved or

Mention

century.

Hampton Court on

mere planks

of a

still

State

the

room

crimson velvet embroidered with

beautiful

State occasions, which was

embroidered with pearls, and cost 50,000 crowns. chair

ornamental tables

made

" tapet,"

There

Hardwicke Hall covered with a silver tissue of

about the same

date.

At Cambridge the

canopy that was carried over the head

velvet

Elizabeth on the occasion of her 1564.

Museum,

preserved, in the Archaeological

is still

measures twelve

feet

King's College Chapel

visit to

Queen

and

five,

divided into four

equal parts by broad strips of red velvet embroidered with the

arms

Queen

Elizabeth,

greyhound and dragon. crowned, and rose with

five petals in

College, and

footmen who carried

cushions,

uncomfortable

France, supported

There are twelve other devices,

provided by King's

The

and

England,

over the

portcullis

two rows, crowned.

Queen

for the

sum

quysshens, which were so necessary

days of stone seats and hard wooden

which was a favourite material.

Hall,

which

some

chairs

was

afterwards redeemed from the

hung with ancient

In the

tapestry,

6s. 8d.

those

benches,

were covered with rich embroidery, frequently of gold and velvet,

silver

Chapel of Hardwick are

still

be seen

and cushions covered with beautiful sixteenth century

needlework.

With the exception example

left of

rude, being the wall

the

Bayeux Tapestry, we have no

the earliest wall hangings

work

;

their designs

were often

of domestic artists unskilled in drawing.

hanging of King John's time

described as being painted

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

66 or

embroidered with the subject

Adam

the Fall.

repre-

sented as gathering apples from a tree that barely reaches up to his knee,

and beneath the

tree

a figure of an angel milking.

the figures are decently clothed in Anglo-Saxon costumes

All

even the angel wore breeches and an over

MS.

In a

The hangings coverlet,

froc.

No. 2278) are some

of the fifteenth century (Harl.,

chamber

interesting details of the arrangement of a

of the period.

bed are sumptuously embroidered, and the

of the

which matches, reaches

to the

ground.

The

attendance have embroidered robes, not very unlike those worn at the present day.

In another

same

representation of a coach of the

coverings supported by brass rods.

The MSS.

waggons. patterns

employed

Mass were enriched and banqueting

romances

;

period,

(Harl.)

fashion

find a

with embroidered

very like our covered

domestic and

church

The

embroidery.

altar during the

celebration of the

with figures and subjects, generally from the

while the hanging of the walls of

A monk

of the day.

chambers

subjects from

were embroidered with

halls

Adam, Noe, and

his

the

of Chester, in the fifteenth century,

hung with English needlework, with the

describes a large hall "

MS.

ladies in

period give minute details of the

of this

hangings that surrounded the

lives of the saints

shyppe

" ;

story

the twelve sons of Jacob and

the plagues of Egypt.

The hangings, we were sent forward by

their royal or noble

from one castle to another, and

very

owners when they travelled

was the

office of the

troublesome and costly arrangement

suggested the much simpler method of painting the early as the thirteenth century mural painting

the use of hangings. in

" secca

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that

walls, but

grooms

them properly hung.

the chambers to see

This

remain on the

are told, did not

is,

The

began

may have walls.

supersede

painting was not done in fresco, but

distemper.

The

walls

of castles,

manor

DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY. and even

houses,

manner

this

middle of

the

obliterated

remains

met with

churches.

and churches, were decorated

cathedrals

until

these

sixteenth

the

are

rooms with wood does not appear

Panelling

earlier

probably quite

rude

chamber a French

said

king's

chamber

a curtain

woodwork painted

instructions for his great

green colour,

examples

reliable

have been

we have

;

and

remaining.

was

Henry HI. gives

over.

Westminster

often

still

practised until the middle of the thirteenth century, and certainly

Half

century.

old wall paintings

to be painted a

the gable or frontispiece of the

inscription should be painted

and that the

;

wardrobe should be painted of a green colour to

little

imitate a curtain.

The

heraldry.

landscapes subjects often

chamber

pictures painted on

figures were ill-proportioned

The

perspective.

deficient in

were executed with greater

employed

There

workmen. royal

castle

an order

still in

Winchester

and clumsy, and the

and sacred

historical

foreign

skill,

to decorate the walls of

Henry HI. imported a Florentine

the

walls were a kind of religious

artists

churches and palaces.

artist

his native

to instruct

existence for his

being

chamber

be painted with

historical

pictures as before, thus indicating that the art of mural painting

had been practised first

king

some

who enriched

the

earlier period.

churches he

Henry

built with

III.

was the

painting and

sculpture.

There

attempts at

very

little

The

art.

originality

faces

skill

are without expression,

without proportion, and the draperies crude and until

the

reign

these

ill

first

rude

the limbs

managed.

Henry V. do we get any attempt

Not real

portraiture.

In the reign of

Henry VIII. the custom

of painting walls

with subjects from history and Scripture began to decline, and

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

68 is

very interesting to trace

led to the framing

The

how

of pictures,

was not a

transition

the discontinuance of this practice

and hanging them on the

walls.

came about

quite

violent

one.

naturally.

custom had sprung up

for

some time past

of representing

the stories that were pourtrayed on the walls in rows

some two

three feet in height, the subjects being divided by narrow styles

or " battens."

bottom

and

make

were the

country about

framed

add

wooden

styles top

and

frames were painted black

elaborate. Probably Holbein's

England.

and the fashion

1526,

from a few years

earliest

became more

pictures

first

The

a frame.

but soon they

gilt,

was only a step

He came

this

framing pictures dates

for

later.

Evelyn, writing

1669,

speaks of

"a good many

put into the wainscot of the Earl of Norwich's house

pictures

Epping

Forest, which Mr. Baker, his lordship's predecessor, brought from

Indeed, about this time the fashion extensively prevailed

Spain." of letting

pictures into

the

woodwork

form

of the

part

decoration of a room.

The very authenticated

earliest is

attempt

historical

portraiture

that

a panel painting representing Henry V. and his

family.

This was at one time the altar-piece of the church at

Shene.

It is

probable that a great

on panel of the seventeenth

fifteenth, sixteenth,

century

many

of the pictures painted

and during some part

were originally

let

into

the

of the

wainscot

panelling of rooms and churches.

The

earliest fashion of

wood

panelling that prevailed

was a

wainscot, or lining of the walls from the floor to the ceiling, or a

few feet of the cornice that usually went round the room.

The

panelling of the time of the Tudors usually reached up to within

two

feet of the ceiling.

fashion

was then introduced

of dividing the

wood work

Tapestry

ot the

Sixteenth Ceiitury.

;

DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY. into

two

The lower

parts.

and terminating

about three or four feet

part,

moulding more or

less

height,

ornamental.

Fre-

quently the upper part was covered with tapestry, as we often see in old pictures

of interiors.

Paintings were often

the panelling of the upper part

let into

and when the fashion prevailed

framing pictures

carved and

elaborate frames, the upper part entirely disappeared, and only the

name

lower wainscoting, which we dignify by the

This

remained.

board we see

gave place

time

its

narrow skirting

to the

our modern rooms.

curious to notice that the introduction of mirrors into

It is

England

a " dado,"

coeval with the picture frame.

fifteenth centuries mirrors of polished steel of very small

sions were in use.

They were framed

and

In the fourteenth

and

ivory

dimen-

and

silver,

were very costly. In

accounts

century an item occurs

fourteenth

the of

silver gilt."

Henry VIII.

the king

(Edward

There

entry

payment

of a

to a

I.)

the

the wardrobe

"a comb and

mirror

privy purse expenses of for "

Frenchman

certayne looking-

glasses."

After their introduction mirrors

became

a larger and

a very important item

frames being usually richlv carved and

The use of tapestry,

centuries. in

household furnishing, the

gilt.

of tapestry cloth, or painting

was also prevalent during the It

was used so extensively

were embodied into a London In the will of

more convenient form,

on canvas fifteenth

at this

imitation

and sixteenth

time that the workers

civic guild.

Lady Hastings, 1503,

there occurs a bequest

an old hangin of counterfeit Arras of KnoUys, which

hangeth

the hall, and

lynen painted as

Exeter

all

now hang Cathedral

now

such hangings of old baudekyn, or the chapel." in

the

beginning

the

sixteenth

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

century there were several pieces of " stayned cloth," representing

scenes from the

When of

lives of the saints.

painting on glass

came

into general use wall

The

richly painted

large traceried

windows and

embroidery or painted canvas disappeared.

glass supplied the want of colour

hangings

big bare rooms, and superseded the use of painting and embroidery for the walls.

CHAPTER

IX.

BED HANGINGS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. In

Anglo-Norman

the

were

beds

century,

fourteenth

middle

the

until

excluded

not

from

the

day

the

Indeed, they served the double purpose of beds by

apartments.

During the day, indeed, they were

night and couches by day.

among

and

Period,

the richest ornaments of the

they were

sitting-room, as

usually covered with a richly embroidered coverlet.

Ladies of the Middle Ages pursued their occupations, and received their visitors

their

chambers, and the custom

often

romance

"La

alluded to in the romances of the day.

daughter of a

the

Violette,"

receiving her friends

and amice

cunning a

little

silk

burgher

chanson

toiled

entering

suddenly

the

occupied

described

seated,

her father's chamber, "working a stole

and gold, very

cross,

In the

skilfully,

and many a

star,

singing

another romance,

chamber

embroidering a piece of

the

and putting

with

the while a

all

A young

ladies,

bachelor,

finds

them

all

the ensigns of the

silk with

lord of the castle."

The hangings itself,

seem

chamber visitors,

early

of the

bedchamber, and especially

of the

bed

have been a subject of much importance, as the

those primitive

times was

and the bed usually served

the

place

for a seat.

Middle Ages, there were so few rooms

visitors slept in the

same room as the host and

for

receiving

Indeed, in

the

house, that

hostess.

Curtains

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

72 to

the

Indeed, " Under

beds were thus extensively used.

curtain" was a term synonymous to being "in bed."

the

The bed

coverings of this period appear to have been very rich, especially in

the case of Royalty and persons of rank.

counterpane worth a thousand marks.

Pair subjects

curious old

coloured

Bed

crewels

Stow speaks

The beds

of the period,

Curtains, coarse linen, embroidered with

(English,

l6th

Century),

of a

Scripture

the

possession of Lady

the

same way as

Brougham and Vaux.

learn from

Neckam, were covered much

the present time, except that the sheets were sometimes of white silk.

pointe,

The

coverlet

was composed

quilte

pointe,

courte pointe, or counter-

green say, a woollen material, though we

learn from old inventories that richer materials were used.

BED HANGINGS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. In the " Lai del in

Desire" we are told

of a coilte (quilt)

checker wise of pieces of different sorts of rich

patchwork.

In the

Romance

The

being

latter are described as

among

was a

rich quylt

bedstead and

grene sendall,

of gold.

Upon

the Sarasyns.

%^::}

^--'t

ffV

'>tr

%yV

on Coarse Linen.

earliest is in

woman from

sought refuge

account

Hebrides,

in this

it.

Especial mention

meet with

who had

country.

made

so curiously embroidered that

ever been seen.

give

II.

Coloured Crewels

embroidered

century.

suffered

She was so

of her

bed

Thorgunna, a

many

skilful

was supposed that she employed witchcraft

that

will

English, late Sixteenth Century.

a legend of the eleventh

the

This

Curtain embroidered with Detached Flowers and Birds

hangings

bed

'fr

t^-

The

this

The

wrought with coten, with crimson sendel, stitched

an idea of the bed draperies of the time of Edward

bedde there

this

with thredes of golde, and shetes of whyte sylke."

of "

embrowdred with ymages

four square pillowes wrought

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; early

its

wyrouned with gold and azure, and round about laye carpettes of syllke

stuffs

made

Arthur of Lytel Brytayne"

a very curious description of a chamber with

hangings.

misfortunes,

needlework

producing

bed hangings, which were

men thought nothing

them had

Misfortunes seemed to have followed her here.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

and she warned her friends when she died that the ownership hangings would

embroidered

the

always

bring

trouble

the

possessor, and she desired them to be burned. Inventories and ancient wills of the Middle

amount

large

embroidery.

information

relating

remarkable feature

very solemn and emphatic manner disposition

the faith in

where he desires

and family and

Among

these old documents

which the testator prefaces

his

spirit

the

his

humble Christian hope

heartfelt

After

piety.

the

testator proceeds to mention the church

faith the

recital of his

use of

expresses

and earnest

prevalent

by an acknowledgment

property

his

the Trinity, and

devout

the

Ages supply a

be burled, and his bequests to the church

friends.

testamentary

the

bequests

Edward

Black

the

Prince was a bed of red camora to his confessor, Sir Robert de

Walsham,

embroidered

the arms

with

Cheyne our bed

arms embroidered

our

with

camora,

Hereford.

II.),

ostrich feathers

my new

of silver,

bed

Thomas,

Earl of Kent,

of gold."

Edward, Earl

bed of black

satin

and escutcheons will of

bed of

my of

of their

embroidered with

of leopards

mouths.

of gold, with

To my

dear son

March,

1380, bequeaths "our large

embroidered with white lions and gold roses,

of the

the arms of Arundel and

arms

Mortimer and Ulster."

we meet

John,

Warren

Duke

of Lancaster,

of the house of Lancaster)

In the

with the bequest of

with

hall,

quarterly, also a bed embroidered

bed of black velvet embroidered with a

badge

dear son, the

embroidery, and the hangings of the large

with griffins."

His

bed Camak, fraied with red and rays

the Earl of Arundel (1392) silk

will " to

of red velvet,

and heads

boughs and leaves issuing out

To Monsr. Alayne

powdered with blue eagles."

widow, the Fair Maid of Kent, gives by

King (Richard

each corner, also

;

bequeaths

large

circle of fetterlocks " (the

and the Duke

York

" a

bed

BED HANGINGS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. of feathers

and leopards, also

compas."

Mention

made

green bed embroidered with a

other wills of the period of beds

embroidered with lions and butterflies of

a bed of gold

colours "

;

Lady Bergavenny's

swans with branches and flowers

and another

;

bed of

silk,

will

of divers

black and red, embroidered

with woodbined flowers of silver."

While the hangings

worked

richest

silk,

for the

bed

for the walls consisted

thick worsted, as

and

velvet,

we see

the

The

hangings and coverlets.

intended to adorn, but were done the

Bayeux

tapestry, the

and other costly materials were employed

the embroidery were never worked on the

attached

of coarse linen

principal portions

materials they

The edges where they were

general ground.

over, en guipure, with gold or silver tambour.

was generally employed

scrolls

coloured

coarse kind of

of silk cord twisted with gold

Ages, and quite naturally the or

first

white laces,

darned work, followed close upon

and subjects upon

much used cloths,

and

silks.

White embroidery was extensively practised drawn

cast

embroidered design, and the

for the

and sprays were formed

were

and then

separately on linen,

applied were bound over with a cord, which was afterwards

linen

and

in "

form of

the

Darning figures

it.

various stitches, was very

linen, or netting in

church work

the Middle

lectern or frontal veils, or

for

corporals" for the

altar, so early as the

Pyx

fourteenth

century.

Thread embroidery, sometimes under the distinctive name of

was made

called net work,

" filatorium."

England was very

The

embroidery.

examples consist of button-hole

stitch with purl

and cut work being a mixture

lace

was known

first

lace that

The

earliest

ornaments

and embroidery

lacis

stitches.

Lacis was a network on which a pattern was darned or worked.

Cut work was more elaborate, and partook more

of the character

L 2

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

76 of lace,

and was often worked on a frame

EngHsh

In the sixteenth century

time

making

still

existence

ladies spent a great deal of their

Many examples

and cut work.

lacis

are

this

form of altar cloths, bed hangings, and

the

geometric patterns.

coverlets embroidered.

with

quilts,

among

the treasured heirlooms of old families.

are wrought with

are

or small coverlets,

emblems

still

the Evangelists.

the

taken

full

figures

seem

quilt,

occur

J Coverlet, Coarse Linen, Embroidered in Coloured

Crewels.

English,

Sixteenth

Century.

the

rhvme

they

are

The

Evangelists

have been a very In a cra-

subject.

dated

161

they

groundwork

the

style of

Renaissance, surrounded '

the

figures

commg

seen

quilt.

with flowing scroll work, and

Possession of Lady Heathcote Amory.

Sometimes

This

the

satin treated in

the

corner.

-sized

favourite dle

Evangelists,

four

an ac-

embroidered

quilt

each

Durham

1446 there

the

one

an inventory

count of a with

Often they

Priory

met

often to be

Cradle

the

COHlCrS

out of a flower.

conjunction

with

the

old

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the bed that I lie on.

Guard

When to

Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles

reside at

Hampton

Court,

came

her apartments were sumptuously

furnished even for that age of reckless extravagance.

looking-glass and toilet,"

II.,

are told,

"were

Her great

of beaten

massive

BED HANGINGS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. gold, the gift gift

the

Queen Mother.

Her bed hangings, the

were of

silver

embroidery on

years later there was a beautiful bed at

Hampton Court

States

the

Holland,

crimson velvet.

Many worked floral

for

design

Queen in silk

stitchery that

Charlotte, on purple satin, with an elaborate

and crewels.

we can venture

English embroidery.

This

is,

perhaps, the latest

to include in our

bit of

examples of old

CHAPTER

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK.

The monuments

of the

Middle Ages are our best authorities

From

the embroideries of the period which they represent.

we can judge

impossible, indeed, to overrate the

importance of monumental evidence. they are

that

the period, and that

absolutely the

the

embroidery, as

with

the

same dress and

Worcester

the

same

had been modelled from

the dresses of

who

sleep in

the case of the Black Prince at

beneath,

tomb was opened

John's the

every reason to

as worn by the originals

surcoat that hangs above effigy

the case of effigies they are clothed

same costume

The

Winchester.

There

representations of

faithful

tomb beneath, notably

surcoat

these

the prevailing style, and the details are usually given

with great minuteness.

believe

for

it.

same as the accidents

When King

1797, he

was found

attitude as that portrayed on the recumbent

statue, even to the bright red colour of the silk

and the jewelled

border.

Richard

London or

II.,

citizens

embroidered

who was

the vainest of monarchs, sat to two

for

his

monument,

for

the

purpose.

diapered over with of plantagenesta (the

heraldic devices,

broom

dress specially

The cloak and the

woven

kirtle

are

broom pod and sprig

plant), the device of the Plantagenets,

along with a concJiaiit hart, chained and gazing straight forward,

and above

cloud,

with rays darting up

from behind, the

The

ClK'slcrliL'ld

Cope, crimson velvet

eiiibroidei ed

(English, 14th Century.)

in .i;old

,ind

needlework.

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. cognizance of Edward

There

III.

a portrait of Richard

II.

preserved at Wilton House, the seat of the Earl of Pembroke, representing the king arrayed covers him entirely, diapered

artists

the careful

to of

old

the date of this picture

we have the

sculptures,

elaboration bestowed

the

all

most sumptuous cloak, which

large circles, inclosing stags in

gold, with a very rich border;

Thanks

minor details

fullest

and most

1377.

by the painstaking

and

pictures

their

reliable information of the

dresses and decorations affected by our ancestors.

English Embroidery, the dress of the people

this period of

had become so splendid and luxurious

Edward

III.

(1363),

by a

statute

or drapery enamelled

was enacted that none whose income was

marks a year should wear cloth

below four hundred

that,

gold,

aymelez^'' or embroidered.

avoid this Act counterfeits were made, and " senden unto

the fayres of Ely, Orrerford, and Salisbury, to the greet deseit of

our soverain Ld the

Kyng and

the Issue Rolls of

of the

illustrative

all

his peple."

Edward

(1335) occurs an entry

III.

use of Embroidery to adorn the dress of the

period.

June 28 of that year, we

find

an entry of a payment

for

two vests of green velvet embroidered with gold, one with sea sirens,

and one with the arms

another entry for a robe divers workmanship,

Philippa

Queen

The device have been

This

of the is

embroidered with

gold,

against the confinement of the

Lady

ornament with the king.

There

seems

a painting

Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, on the north

St.

altar representing

taken about 1355.

and

Hainault,

the arms of England on his person

supposed

velvet

England and

England.

a favourite

on the walls of side

made

Edward

III.

and

his

five

sons.

be a tolerably correct portrait of the King

The King's

surcoat

quartered with the arms

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

England and France, with the

red

lions

embossed

gold on a

field.

among

It is

best picture of the mediaeval

find the

and

the illuminated manuscripts of this period that life

and dress

of the king

his people.

Beside sculpture and painting, and the patient and careful

work

of the illuminator, ancient brasses are of the highest possible

furnishing

interest,

changes

and

of civil, military,

The

brass

earliest

thirteenth century,

and

most satisfactory authority

the

known, with a figure

intact,

The knowledge

another argument for their careful preservation.

work they represent with such

most

thirteenth

the

certainly of the

little

fidelity is still in existence,

Ages, and

of this period

England during the Middle

we have

most beautiful work

All the

and

fourteenth

and fourteenth century may be considered the

period of the arts

brilliant

to us.

merits might be judged.

its

The

of these facts should

give a deeper interest to ancient monuments, and

which

the

samples seldom occur after the close

fine

of the seventeenth century.

old

ecclesiastical costume.

of the

centuries,

fifteenth

so few specimens preserved

Gothic type

before

Renaissance crept northward over Europe.

the

of the

the

spirit

Towards the end

the fifteenth century the Gothic styles, with the Scripture subjects

on beautiful golden grounds, were replaced by the more flowing Art had been gradually emancipated

designs of the Renaissance.

from traditional ecclesiastical forms and symbolism, and naturally,

when

set

free

from

long restraint,

the opposite direction, and became

extravagance

unorthodox.

Ecclesiastical art, indeed,

England In

initial

quite

out

into

once

all

came suddenly

an end

the Reformation.

an illuminated manuscript letter

broke

it,

of the original

the Cottonian Library,

the

grant of the conquered provinces of

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. France, King Edward

represented as presenting the document

to his son the

Black Prince.

real portraits,

there

The hkenesses being

no doubt the representations

The

are equally exact.

figures are

drawn

silver

of the dresses

armour, except

The jupons

the joints of the knees and elbows, which are gold.

over the

England

armour are splendidly embroidered with the arms in

MS.

an archbishop is

blue with

white

;

his

century we have a fine picture of

vestments before the

are black,

the altar-piece

blue and gold squares. is

(13th Century.)

His outer robe

altar.

a red cross and lining; the bottom, being linen,

ornamented with gold

Saracenic Aumoniere.

of the fourteenth

his sleeves

front of

the appropriate colours.

Silver Braid Embroidery.

In a

each case

blue

flowers, In a

and the cap on ;

the

his

curtains

head

are

and the background

The

red.

green,

both

composed

contemporary MS. of John

Gaunt,

represented wearing a blue robe with an embroidered border.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

Blue and red were then, as now, the Royal colours of England.

much worn

dresses were

Parti-coloured

much inveighed

against by Chaucer

the

and were

at this period,

Parson's Tale."

There are many manuscripts containing illuminations representing scenes

illumination in

a large

his coronation

gold

with gold flowers with white spots

The

with gold.

life

MS.

;

ermine

left

the Earl of Derby

white with a gold robe

a blue tunic embroidered

bishop on the right hand

is in

white, with

In another illumination in the

the coronation

both the bishops are

;

The young King's robe

old.

The Queen's garment

Bohemia.

Westminster Abbey representing

the abbot on the

representing

scene

There

II.

underdress of pink, elaborately embroidered

robe with gold flowers. is

King Richard

when eleven years

beautiful

his

;

the

a blue

same MS.

Anne

of his queen,

blue, the robe gold, lined with

white edged with gold.

Their

robes are pink, embroidered with red flowers, edged with gold.

Richard

In a later manuscript of

the throne

nobleman gold

at the right

hand

great length

;

The shoes of a monk carries

lamb embroidered

Museum, containing Richard

II.,

this

embroidered

;

Museum

blue,

;

the

over with

and the other

are represented as being of cross,

and

Library at the British

the Harleian

the history of the latter part of the reign of

a representation

the dark

MS.

all

a white flag with a red

showy and most luxurious dress gold

British

gold.

From another MS.

red,

one leg decorated with the garter

;

the

represented covered with the arms of England

leg in white.

the

II. in

part

of the

of a knight of the period

of rich red

sleeve

material embroidered

blue and the light part

white.

When seem

luxury.

the

knights of

have worn

dress

this

period were not

armour they

more than Asiatic softness and

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK.

from the same manuscript represents

Another illumination the

knighting of

Henry, son of

King's garment and

The

ostrich

the

arms

England

his

feather

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; red with

blazoned

The

Lancaster.

horse are red, se/nes all

The background

the badges of the sovereign.

whether of needlework or not

Duke

the

the trappings

with ostrich feathers.

gold,

was one

very elaborate,

gold stripes and flowers

;

a banner described as the

leopards.

Royal arms of Edward "I-, adopted used till about 1405.

From

the

tomb of Edward

J340 and

(^^y^,

III.

Old writers frequently allude

^orne by Henry IV. after about 1403. and down to 1603. by successive soveri;igns o j.

the leopards

some heralds

;

suggest that the lions passant regardant, as represented

arms

England,

were termed

being always represented

During the wars

full

of the

" luvis

face,

Roses the

art of

and, indeed, has never since recovered

obtained

its

Anglo-Saxon and

continental work.

and showed

profile.

embroidery languished,

the

precedence

Plantagenet

design or execution.

had

days above

With a few notable exceptions

little skill

quite disappeared

lion in

the

leopard

leopardes," the

and the

all

was coarse,

The Gothic

style

the beginning of the sixteenth century, and

ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

OL13

gave place

new

the

style

most remarkable examples

Perhaps the

the Renaissance.

new

this

upon old forms

influence

were called forth by the tournament of the Field of the of

Cloth

Here the greatest ingenuity was displayed, and the

Gold.

embroiderer's

tested to the utmost to adorn the dresses and

skill

the banners and the tent coverings used on this occasion. different dress

sumptuous

most

the

was worn each day

which covered a space

328

of the tent

feet,

embroidered

mottoes and

with

fashion

The hangings

heraldic devices.

of the tourney,

ciphers,

and

where the kings met,

were splendidly embroidered

with gold and incrusted with pearls and precious stones.

Henry VHI.'s

foreign wives

upon the needlework

exercised

a marked

influence

Catherine of Aragon introduced

of the age.

the Spanish style of black and white silk and gold embroidery on fine linen, in

and her daughter. Queen Mary, who was also Spanish

same kind

her taste, practised the

She

black and gold.

reputed to have finished the beautiful

and elaborate tapestry begun by lowliness and seclusion.

time

still

Anne

costumes

mother

her

days of

counterpane worked by her at

of Cleves introduced the

of this

may

great worker, and

She

be seen

this

or cushion

designs,

stitch.

the Renaissance borders in the

by Holbein.

many examples certainly

German Renaissance

pnlviiiariiini,

of the old portraits

in existence.

her

existence.

and revived the old opus example

of lace stitchery, chiefly in

Queen Elizabeth was a

of her skill

encouraged the

and patience are art,

and her

still

portraits

represent her as having her costumes entirely covered with the

most elaborate needlework, flowers,

fruit,

the most beautiful workmanship.

all

embroidered

cousin,

trifles

Mary Queen

among

of Scots,

her

and symbolical designs,

She made many presents

favourites.

Her unfortunate

was a beautiful worker, and during

her long imprisonments iMnbroidered a set of hangings for the

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. bare walls of her

remember little gifts

chill

prison chamber.

that she sought of her

very touching to

her kinswoman's heart by

soften

own work.

The Embroiderers' Company was incorporated Elizabeth (1561). as,

the reign of

must have enjoyed considerable prosperity,

still

London

existence as a

guild,

and

its

hall

Gutter-lane.

very curious history

The

chasuble.

old

attached to a vestment, probably a

mother

Countess of Salisbury,

Henry

Pole,

was beheaded by her kinsman

of 70,

on the evidence of an embroidered vestment.

The

beside the wardens and keepers, the livery consisted of 115

members. is

Cardinal

VIII.,

the age

only evidence against her was a white silk chasuble found

her wardrobe, embroidered in front with the arms of England,

surrounded with a wreath of pansies and marigolds, and on the

back the representation Lord, and the

The

name

of the

Jesus"

Host with the

five

wounds

our

the midst.

peers considered this a treasonable ensign, and on this

evidence she was attainted of high treason, and beheadfcd without the privilege of being heard

her

own

defence.

has been

suggested that the armorial shields embroidered on old

garments have a value not only recall

the

more than ordinary

great

names

interest:

but

history,

may

liturgical

"They serve to

unravel an

entangled point before a law tribunal, or furnish the

lost link in

a broken pedigree."

Philip Stubbs, in his "

Anatomy

Abuses

" at

the close of

the sixteenth century, speaks of the great ruffs worn in at that period,

which he

tells

us were

lawne, and the finest cloth that

made

England

cambric, holland,

can be got anywhere for money

were not good enough, they had them

wrought over with

silk

work, and peradventure laced with gold and silver."

Then,

speaking of

the

costly

hose

breeches

worn

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

86 England, he says divers

fashions,

" :

Then they have hosen, which are

they

of sundrie

names

as they be of the

Venetian

hosen reach beneath the knees to the gartering place of the then

they

are

tied

finely

with rows

gardes.

they

made

that

with

And of

silk

silken

yet

velvet,

Purse, Embroidered with

precious

stuffs,

this

tlie

and

points

not

satin,

laid

sufficient

leg,

on also except

damask, and other

Tudor Rose.

besides they have also boot-hose which are to

be wondered at."

The shoes throughout a very important and his

lady.

the whole of the

costly

part

the

Middle Ages were

dress of a knight or

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. The

Henry

effigy of

the splendour of

They

shoes.

its

Westminster

III.

remarkable

for

are diapered with golden inter-

lacements, each square containing the figure of a

lion.

Cardinal Wolsey's shoes were sumptuously embroidered with gold.

Walter Raleigh went to Court

Sir

jewels in value

shoes

covered with

ÂŁ6000.

The well-known

Queen

story of

Elizabeth and Raleigh at Greenwich

may

probably have arisen on account

the

and

beautiful

shoes

costly

by the Queen on

which were worn this occasion.

Some specimens of

embroidery

extreme and unique interest were

exhibited in

"The Tudor

Among them was

Tudor

with

the

purse

has

worked

band,

round

maketh mirth when

empty." flowers,

all

top

pale

Money

plenty, but

when the purse

the mirth It is

the

letters

motto,

This

rose.

yellow ground, the

small

embroi-

a purse

dered

black

Exhibition."

ornamented with three

worked

tapestry stitch.

Embroidered Dress, worn by Queen Catherine Parr.

The

centre one, a rose,

of pink, with

rim of

shades

a centre of gold

black, the

of the leaves there

leaves is

braid, all

edged with a narrow

and stalks pale yellow

little

green near the centre.

flowers are pale yellow, with black veinings, petals are purple, in

and the centres gold braid

;

the case

The two

side

the turnovers of the ;

the two lower petals

each of these flowers are purple, with pale yellow turnovers.

The

ENGLISH EMBROinERY.

OI,D

issuing

leaves

dark green.

case

from

the

sides

The two

the flowers are

pieces

flowers

at the

every

top are

purple and pale yellow, the cords and tassels pale yellow, with a strand of darker colour running throughout, the tassels matching,

and the loops

work

at the

worked

silver thread.

Another interesting example

Queen Catherine stripes

buff

The

Parr.

and

colour,

stitch.

bunch

pansies

The of

bars

three

and

material

along

leaves

between next

leaves

part

left

it,

Among cap It

the relics of

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a white

satin

cap

divided by rows of

white

with

repeating

Ashbridge.

minute

very

made

are

worn by

cambric,

stripes

the

band sewn down

Queen Elizabeth

left

dress

pansy group, and

band sewn down, and the borderings similar but larger silver

worked

each

the

Satin Embroidered Skull Cap,

pattern

The ground-

bottom are of gold thread.

plain

stripes

the

are

chain little

silver

of a

same way.

an embroidered

skull

with other things by her at Ashbridge.

silver

braid

into six

compartments, of

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. which only three can be seen the right silk,

shades

green, and the

edged with a the

namely,

with

round

it,

the

marked

of the flowers

panel

whole being

the flowers

similar in in

this

pale green, edged

an entirely different manner

somewhat

spiral

used

The made of

ruffle

satin,

manner

case being

the

worn richly

and

same way.

the

cumbersome

silver

twist

gimp twisted

one thread.

represents a sort of tree, in dark green, bearing red left

yellow

Elizabeth's Coronation Ruffle.

which has a

silk,

and

thick

being

worked

Queen

coloured

and the petals

leaves

the

panel

centre

worked

brown, the whole design

stalks pale

thin silver braid,

chief veins of

The

flower,

panel on

and red centre, the leaves being of various

a yellow

The

the illustration.

ornamented with a large

with

of treatment to that in

The design fruits. The on the

right,

shades of blue and the leaves

same way with a narrow

by Queen

loosely

Elizabeth

embroidered with

silver braid.

her

pearls

coronation

and gold and

oil)

silver thread, the

of a pelican.

silver thread or braid, little

KM BROIDERY

panels having alternately an arabesque design

and one apparently

corners are

I'.NGIJSH

At the

wrist

a broad band of

dotted with oblong spangles, and

sprays like heron's feathers, worked

silk.

Queen

of exceptional inte-

Among

work

white

purse worked by

Elizabeth rest.

various

the

many

pieces

Queen

credited

Elizabeth,

particular

notice should be taken of

this

work

of a very excel-

The body

lent quality.

of the purse

knitted,

blue silk

and the two ends are

worked with

and

gold

The

thread.

purse

the

purse,

silver

lower end of the pattern

silver

bars with gold interstices, and at

the

points

square worked

bound ous

little

The purse

the tassel,

;

each of

its

strands

end with a

at the

blue silk in

buttonhole stitch of silk, has

junction

curi-

of silver thread.

tie

beautiful

our

embroidered

was

illustration

Purse worked by Out-en Elizabeth.

presented by Queen Elizabeth to

one of

satin,

very

feather

besques.

her Maids delicatelv

stitch,

Honour.

and

effectively

with a design

The two upper

The purse

made

embroidered,

conventional

circular flowers are

of white

chiefly

flowers

shaded

and arain

pink,

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK.

The two nearer The two flowers in

the darkest colour being outermost. the

are yellow in

same manner.

the centre the lower

corners have the two upper petals pink, and the three lower ones blue,

also

Embroidered Purse, presented by Queen Elizabeth

and stalks throughout are green being darkest in

green.

purse are

The

shaded darker towards the outer edges.

(3f in

;

to one of her

the

Maids

case

leaves

Honour.

the

leaves

towards the outer edges, and having also veins the

other flowers, two

the

upper half of the

shades of blue, and the two large irregular blossoms

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

92 in

the

lower

half

are

worked

French knots, partly with colour generally Purl

dark,

purl,

with

a mixture

and partly

and brighter

the

colours.

the scrolls that occur here and

and the cords are twisted strands

there,

feather stitch,

spots of red

and gimp are also used

ways, partly

blue

silk,

The

purse

pale red, white, and

with

tassels

match.

beautiful

state

of preservation.

slipper

Berain, ward

and wife worked

P^lizabeth,

centre

tulip

graduated

stitch,

styles

different

The

satin.

feather

Richard Clough,

several

on white

Queen

Sir

Catherine

various shades of blue, from almost

deep colour, the whole

white

to a

being

edged with a twisted gold

wire.

The

loops

purl

centre circlet, which

made

the

Inside

thick twisted gold cord,

with a

edged with

a finer one, are alternately red and blue.

The

also

tulips,

and

stitch, at the

sides

tom

graduated

are

green

pink, with

two lower roses,

at the bot-

shades

calices all

feather

;

and the

worked

purl,

Slipper of Catherine de Berain.

are

The

four similar roses on

blue,

darkest

their

edges.

the upper part of the slipper are in

shades of red, with pale green centres.

The

birds

are

brown,

with red wings, having a touch of blue at the point nearest the

head

band

and the feather

;

shaded

pink,

stitch

flower

the

and has a green

centre of calyx.

The

the top

clouds

LANCASTRIAN AND TUDOR WORK. are blue

silk,

the birds

sewn over with gold threads, and the ground under green

silk,

sewn over with gold threads, and

also

that at the extreme toe of the slipper silk.

rc^d

The

work

entire

gold braid has gone

below

There

it.

places

also a

fair

lining

condition, though the thick

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; doubtless

good deal

The

brown.

saving the finer work

of gold

guimp used

the

various scrolls about the design.

Among

the

other

interesting

specimens of Tudor work tiful

a beau-

gauntlet of the time of Elizabeth,

embroidered with of gold

strips

rich

on,

laid

The

and spangles. very

gold

and

thread,

gold

flat

guimp,

edging, which

effective,

worked

entirely in gold thread.

Elizabethan Chatelaine Beadvvork.

Gauntlet (Temp. Elizabeth).

Also an Elizabethan chatelaine portion

the

chatelaine

the

The upper

bead work. shape

truncated

pyramid, a lady with a dog and a bird being embroidered on it

coloured beads

;

from

this

depend

five

pendants of bead

work, the centre one being the largest, and having as

its

end a

metal attachment with a ring, the ends of the other four being

OLD ENGIJSH RMRROfDRRY.

finished with small yellow bead circlets.

whole

dress

The groundwork

of a pale yellow, with brighter yellow edges.

The

of the

lady's

red and blue, and the large centre flower yellow, with

blue buds and green leaves

and

stalks.

Cap, embroidered with coloured sWks in " point " lace stitches, and gold wire and spangles. (English, l6th Century.)

Book

Common

Prayer, belonging to

Her Majesty

the Queen.

(See page in.)

CHAPTER

ON IHK STUMP.

ExMBROlIJliRV

far the

well-preserved examples

and seventeenth to

into

extensively.

The nuns

Little

England, or

any rate

Opus Anglicaiiuin

relief

was a

have prac-

the

Italian

and

distinct suggestion of

given to the figures was obtained by padding the

stamp, or stump, thus throwing out

above the grounding.

Henry

Gidding were said

remoter ancestors.

of our

raised portions with cotton wool or hair,

sixteenth

given to the figures

the relief

certain parts of the composition there

The

the

The motive was copied from

cinque-cento work, and

the beautiful

have perfect and

which we

"Stump Work"

the

centuries.

have introduced

tised

work

most curious

XI.

and embroidering on the

the figures a good height

In ecclesiastical work,

VIII.'s reign, great splendour of effect

the simple process of stuffing the parts of the

the early years

was obtained by

canopies with wool

make them stand out in high relief. The canopy details mark the date, and are worthy of careful examination. A

so as to often

very frequent device at this period

was the rut Hans used on his

The

rosa, the

favourite

" rose nobles."

figures

(first

half sixteenth

badge

Edward

IV.,

â&#x20AC;˘

and ornaments were worked on

stretched on a small frame

century)

;

linen

tightly

when completed they were backed

with paper to prevent the edges fraying, and sewn on {appligiie) to

the

ground.

Sometimes

the

figures

consisted

several

— OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

96 thicknesses

ground being worked with

the

linen,

silk,

and

the figures applique^ thus gaining greater richness of effect by the

added thickness.

by the

the

tive

details.

thin

ribbon

spangles,

diapers

The

silver

greater

they caught the

ecclesiastical

a purely

round

gilt

this

These being often

slightly

bits

by the way

style

work took

ceased to be of

subjects were

extraordinary

contemporary events.

served as a background

which

the metal.

raised

Scripture

character.

The

thread.

shaped

but

Reformation, when

personages and

the period often

silk

twisting

effect

employed, but they were mixed up historical

round,

of gold.

richness

place later on, after the

for the gold

and concealed the thinness

light

development

further

used was made

always

not

metal sewn on, were usually

was obtained

effect

backgrounds and other decora-

thread

which were

the

gold

rounded, gave

variety of

arrangement of the stitches used

different

threads

great

for

still

way

building of

such subjects as

King Solomon and the Queen

Sheba, Esther

and Ahasuerus, and the figures were clothed

the prevailing

the meeting of

fashion,

and wore ornaments

ing grouping in this

new work

subjects,

of seed pearls.

The most

and the strangest conceits prevailed

followed so closely upon

that

astonish-

the old Gothic

conventional style that went out, quite out, at the Reformation.

There was a and

saintly

superstition.

but to the

then

old in

avoidance of

distinct

legends

—

everything

emblems

ecclesiastical

connected

with

the

old

Characters from Scripture history were introduced,

make everything

quite safe,

and

to disconnect

them with

associations, they were carefully habited in the costume

vogue

— the

very latest

amid modern surroundings. tent

all

fashions,

indeed

— and

placed

Thus, Jael inviting Sisera into her

clothed in a rich dress of netted work, opening

front

revealing an underskirt, while her sleeves and ruffles are worked

EMBROIDERY ON THE STUMP. in

needle point lace stitches

draperies of the figures and the curtains

generally

are

(there

seed pearl ornaments on her hair

;

Sisera also wears pearls at his side.

and bosom.

The

tents

these

designs)

of the tents

are

twisted

coloured silks worked over canvas, both sides alike, or of netted

and are quite separate from the foundation, and allow the

silk,

The

figure or the interior of the tent to be seen under.

are

cotton

with

stuffed

and

wool,

raised

high

figures

and

relief,

dressed, and the uncovered parts embroidered over the padding.

The

faces and hands are worked

the hair and wigs

satin,

business of the hair

stitch

or painted on

complicated knotting or

done with

satin

little

The

purl.

locks of auburn-coloured

silk.

Often

abound

allegories

white

and

gold

Sometimes narrow silks

were

subjects

and

chosen,

they were generally worked or applique on a

;

ground, and

satin

borders

Arcadian

historical

framed as medallions, with

silver

strips

were used, and

gimps

wire

parchment

fastened on

raised

covered

elaborate

high

relief.

coloured

with

loops alternating with the

loops of gold-twisted wire, thus forming a most effective frame.

The

foliage of the trees

fully

managed

sions

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

lions,

caterpillars,

figures

moss were very

with an elaborate arrangement of knotted

The borders Every variety

and the banks

this

quaint

animal and

leopards, snails

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

all

work were very

insect

stags,

squirrels,

occur

and great conventional

quite hares,

skil-

silk.

characteristic.

capricious dimenbirds,

butterflies,

heterogeneous confusion, amid flowers,

all

raised

or less

from the surface.

The

various raised details of the insects,

butterflies,

the

separately and stitch,

outlined

leaves applied.

and petals

They

the

are worked

the wings of the

flowers in

were

made

needle-point lace

with wire to give them the rt-quired

form,

and

;

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

98 are

disengaged from

quite

ground.

the

ingenuity were exercised upon the curious work, and

minutest details of this very

crudeness

the

designs

the

especially fitted

figures

toilet

glasses.

a well-known example, and the

of the

decorative uses as frames of

book covers, caskets, and

mirrors,

mirror

such

for

atoned for

The boldness

by the extreme beauty of the technique. style

and

trouble

Infinite

effect

Nell

Gwynn's padded

the

heightened by such accessories as moulded wax and

Several book covers of this work are preserved as having

beads.

been Royal white

There

embroidery.

were

they

and

subjects in gold

done

are usually of

very

embroidered

bold

way

a folio Bible covered in this

Sometimes

House.

They

favourite.

arms

Royal

the

with

satin,

some Court

gifts

raised

Ham

emblematic

with

the ornaments of the figures being

silver,

seed pearls.

The

example

best

of this quaint old work, the only example,

any

indeed, that can claim this

was presented by Charles

The ground

rays,

The whole

Goliath.

the

Durham cope

Chapter

Upon

and borne up by wings.

David holding

represented

the

Durham.

of red silk, sprinkled with bodiless angels' heads,

crowned with

merit,

artistic

the

the hood

hand the severed head

one

work

done

highly

raised

embroidery.

A is

workbox

an excellent example

illustrations of

the possession

description "

The

Schreiber

appeared

are allowed

this very

the

reproduce,

accompanying

Lady Charlotte Schreiber curious old work.

Queen

with

the

of Feb. careful

Some

1891, which

and interesting

it.

very handsome workbox belonging to Lady Charlotte is

just

over-elaboration,

saved for

production, namely,

from

almost

being extreme

the

immediately after the

1677, the raised figures

matter of date

became mere

its

dolls,

EMBROIDERY ON THE STUMP. and

all

and regard

taste

beauty of design were

for

lost

endeavour to make the actual workmanship exaggerated

the

every

possible way. " in

Even here the faces and hands

wood and worked over with long and

shoes,

and gentlemen are

the

all

necks and waists of the

real

a few eccentricities of this

and

work

kind, the

The

good and

use of purl of

delicate,

many

the box,

of the

varied

effective.

"The box

remarkable

having one or more figures on

for

every panel, as they must have been cute

houses at each end

the

ladies

little

But, with the exception of

braid.

and the designs most quaint. flowers,

King's curtains

stitches, the

bows, loops, and strings on the

are real lace, and the various sleeves,

figures are carved

of the

and

;

most troublesome

to exe-

name

worker

also very noteworthy that the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 'Ann

Greenhill,

front of

one of the drawers

March the

and the divisions and

1677'

21,

inside.

drawers are

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

all

of the

embroidered on the

fitted

up as a workbox,

worked over with

silk

threads kept very long.

"The to

show what they

originally were

by time and wear.

The

much

colours generally are

In the

;

faded, but

enough

left

and several parts are damaged

drawings these defects are supplied. is

edged with a broad border

of tortoiseshell, the rich colouring of

which forms a most effective

entire

frame "

for the delicate

The

and

box, top

greater

stitch, generally

handiwork

part

within.

the

work

buttonhole

lace

applied over a thickly-padded groundwork, but

sometimes used alone, as and

sides,

the

petals of the

rose on the

lid,

the tulip, carnation, and butterfly on the front.

The

front

and gentleman.

opens with two doors, adorned with a

The

dered with a flower

little

lady

lady wears a bodice of white satin embroiblue and green, a pink skirt and sleeves,

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

lOO

and blue

Blue bows of narrow braid are at her neck,

petticoat.

on the sleeves and shoes, and

openwork

collar.

and yellow

white

yellow

with

braid

bows on

and a

his

The

shoes

tree are on the

and white.

and a

butterfly,

and she has a white

hair,

same panel

the

edge.

her

are a white

The

tree.

gentleman

carnation, a

cushion

blue

wears white with

pink

a yellow and white tulip, a brown stag,

;

same

The mat,

panel.

Along the top there

or carpet,

a blue bird, a brown rabbit,

and a green parrot with red wings, and various leaves and

"The and

and white a

supported by two

silk,

cornice

green,

bearing a design

The

lace.

over with yellow

silk,

hung with

striped yellow

and having curtains and

yellow

The back

coiichaiit.

canopy

pillars,

and

pink,

the alcove are white, worked

by two lions

and white

knee and

a white curtain,

also crowned, in

worked

the collar white lace.

yellow

their

probably

The bows

satin

dress, embroi-

leaves,

she has loops

her neck, and on her sleeves

;

her

open ovals with a yellow edge, and

The page has

a blue coat

trimmed with

the rose and the thistle

proper colours, except that the rose seems

blue and grey

The back

and

flowers

have been white with a red edge

castle

his

;

The Queen

dark green.

feet

The Royal emblems

braid.

are worked to

his

feather stitch with

white,

feathers,

a pale brown.

and wears an elaborate white

and bows of pink braid train

with

collar

his

the white shoes are green and white braid,

and the cushion between

dered

lined

ermine, and his dress

representing at his

cloak

The king wears

colours of fleur-de-lis.

striped

steps

and flanked

crown and a large wig, white lace bands and deep red

II.

Braganza, with a page supporting

The King stands under

her train.

flowers.

has a design apparently representing King Charles

lid

queen, Catherine of

his

black

the

silk,

;

but this

may

be faded.

The

with a blue door.

box has

the

lower panel a fountain

EMBROIDERY ON THE STUMP.

lOl

with two basins, the upper one pale yellow, the lower one coloured

The

purl.

column

centre

white lace, the top white

yellow

and

blue

satin,

silk.

bows, on the

blue

left

his

wrist,

a lady

black

white petticoat spotted with in

stitch.

The

lions'

wavy

;

his

a blue

French knots, with a

and on the opposite panel

and lace

neck and shoulder striped

dress,

and

she has pale pink ribbons

brown monkey

her

base,

its

the top

thistle

either

end worked

many-

the centre a group of strawberries in purl

stitch.

"The

side

pale

green

panel to the right has a lady dressed

bows,

holding a flower

accompanied by a brown dog, with a yellow worked

all

sportsman

side another in coloured purl.

and

butterfly

coloured purl, and

with

blue

a spirited design of a white greyhound chasing a brown

rabbit,

little

lines

her hair, at her neck, and on her sleeves.

a tree

open

the right of the fountain

hawk on

grey, with a blue

with

lace

heads are yellow, and the water worked

and white

covered

purl

different

colours,

her

white,

hand

;

she

The house

collar.

and the oak

tree, of

natural colours, in purl lace stitch, and a thin metal

thread for

the stem

stitch

the large pink

;

purl.

The

floral

design

chenille

caterpillar in

purl,

flower

worked

coloured

all

and a brown

At the top

purl.

squirrel

braid

on the bodice, sleeves, waist, and neck

which

panel opposite shows a lady colours,

The

stitch, at

wearing a white

uncommon

many coloured

knots.

tail.

dress

lady,

and

the centre, with a

The side of many

lace

purl,

work

this

and the oak tree

top panel has

one end a snail and

them sprays

the at

a very elaborate

petticoat, with ;

she

kind. is

made

yellow

old

The house with

centre a grey rabbit

French in

lace

the other a bee, and between

of flowers, all in coloured purl.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

I02

"The box

13^ inches long by

inches broad, and the

depth 7^ inches."

Seed pearls and needlework at

ing to Charles

General

German

Queen

the specimens of

work.

are

all

familiar with

Elizabeth's bead work.

purse belong-

worked with beads, was

I.,

F^lphinstone.

into

natural colours as effectively as in

their

the later cross stitch

extensively

coloured beads, representing birds, animals,

and insects

flowers,

introduced

Indeed, frames of mirrors and pictures

this time.

were worked entirely

were

beads

GUIFT OF A FRIEND.

inscribed

possession of

the

capital

letters

1623."

Purses, or gipcieres, were from quite an early time adorned

with

most dainty needlework, generally with some device

the

emblematic or associated with the wearer (they were worn outside the

dress

pocket), with

worker's beneath

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a

tender

little

device

the

true-lovers' knot, or a pair of turtle doves.

Doubtless, love gifts took this particular and graceful turn when the lac d'ainour was superseded. Letter

covered

gifts

white

with

and spangles often

satin

occur about the middle and latter end of the eighteenth century.

pocket-book

seen

of this description

the

finished in floss

white

Museum.

Lichfield silk,

satin

are

belonging to Dr. Johnson

and landscapes

Miniatures very delicately

Curious old pictures worked

century. floss silk

black or coloured silks

productions

admirable

may

the

eighteenth

coloured worsted and

were contemporary with the "sampler," with which we

They were more ambitious than the sampler, The subjects were and were certainly more mature efforts.

are

all

familiar.

generally pastoral

;

there

seen amid the green delightful

period,

was a red brick mansion often

fields, or

the formal flower garden, and

shepherds and shepherdesses

and deer and sheep

to be

the

costumes

abnormal dimensions.

of the

There was

Side Panel.

EMBROIDERY ON THE STUMP. no attempt

at perspective,

but the work and

and the figures were out of drawing

materials were

beautiful,

and the design

was so charming and inconsequent that they were greatly preferred to the realistic

succeeded them.

Berlin

wool pictures

;

that

to be

very shortly

CHAPTER

XII.

JACOB AN WORK. I^

The

second half of the seventeenth century was marked by a

new

departure

studied,

Nature

was more

and conventional treatment began sensibly

to decline.

Instead of with

embroiderer's

the

crude and

the

flowers,

lovely

unnatural

graceful

foliage,

art.

figures, birds,

infinite

beautiful productions

patience

many charming examples

preserved as fresh and perfect as when they were

The ground may have

insects,

skill.

Of these

tiful

presented

butterflies,

delicately and minutely coloured, and worked with

and

are

less vivid

worked.

away and dropped, but the beau-

fretted

and the colours

old stitchery remains,

first

are

of the old

crewels,

than of yore, have only grown mellower and more

harmonious with the years.

The

variety of

stitches

seventeenth century was

employed

by the workers of the

One

piece of work, a coverlet

infinite.

or hanging, often displays every kind of stitch then in existence,

and

on that account alone, of careful examination.

worthy,

fashion arose about the last years of Charles

many

ing portraits in hair, and

miniatures are

still

his

prison

devoted of

locks

of work-

examples of these hair

the possession of the descendants of

The

of his faithful adherents.

from

curious

his followers,

his

some

unfortunate monarch used to send

own

hair

some

the

most

so that the ladies of that house, while

JACOBEAN WORK. likeness in coloured

working

iiis

head

hair on

might be able to do the

silks,

with the very hair of the original.

Some

these likenesses were shown at a recent exhibition of miniatures,

and several are known There

a very interesting his-

South Kensington

torical cushion at

Museum,

said to be

enamoured

human

The

dery.

occurs

barbed,

two shades of hair

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

The cushion

armorial

bearings

with the

initials

the

rolls of

worked with

and

knots,

love

crowned with

strawberry leaves.

the

;

probably the is

J.R.

one golden-

other a sandy shade,

beneath

worked

are

doubt the worker's

yellow, no

King's.

embroi-

the

which

I.,

hearts of the Royal roses,

and

seeded

worked by a lady

James

hair

to exist.

the

border

the figure of a female with

same golden-yellow

hair.

While upon the subject of em-

human

broidery with

from

story

had

"Morte

the

King Ryence

hair,

recall the

d'Arthur."

North Wales, who

discomfited

overcomen

and

Hanging embruidered

eleaven kings," had a rich

he insolently

beards of

sewn thereon sent

for

(English, 17th Century.) sion of

bordered round with the these kings

mantle,

full

craftily

King Arthur's

Crewels.

In the posses-

Lady Brougham and Vaux.

by female hands," and beard

complete the

pattern.

The^taste the

for art

Commonwealth,

needlework, which had languished during revived

with

other

kindred

arts

the

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

Io6 Restoration, but

that period,

absence

succeeded.

off

restraint

all

The work was

licence.

colouring,

threw

was wilder and more luxuriant than

style

early Renaissance

the

but

the

designs

and indulged than

lovelier

were

every other art of

ever,

a season

and richer There was

outrageous.

perspective, and the patterns were so large that

all

they must have dwarfed

all

the other objects in the apartments

where they were displayed. is

There

scarcely an old family or an old

manor house somewhere

England

lumber-room most of

this

usually

not

the

Coarse

was the material

linen

employed

and every shade

hangings

likely,

period

fruitful

homespun

but has

away,

stored

for the

ground,

of crewel worsted,

gold, or purl, like the old

silk,

work, exclusively used for the deco-

The

ration.

prevailing design was

a huge conventional tree growing

up from a grassy sward, bank, or strip

Bed Hangings embroidered tury.)

In the

possession

Lady

every shade

Brougham and Vaux.

variety

beneath, primroses and

deer disport

cowslips

themselves,

lodge

among

have

delighted

and bearing every

variety of flower and leaf, done in

(English, 17th Cen-

green Crewels.

earth,

in blu'e-

and

spring

and every

stitch.

up, and

peacocks and

birds

tropical

colour

the

gorgeous

bank

hues

the branches, and butterflies and insects that would

though inconsequent

naturalist's picture.

heart

complete

The work

the

charming,

often quite exquisite,

and the dainty conceits, however incongruous, more graceful and pleasing than

many

later

examples of higher and more correct

beautiful Curtain,

Embroidered

witii

coloured Crewels. In the possession of

Tropical Flowers and Fruit on Linen

(English, 17th Century.)

Lady Brougham and

Vau.x.

JACOBEAN WORK. Evelyn mentions a bed for the Queen of Charles

art.

embroidery of which cost ;^3ooo, probably of on a costly ground.

This

of the Stuarts

accession of

George

when

I.,

German the new

this elaborate work-

through

the

reigns

tasteless

dynasty. taste

year 1695

sum

reign

had

taste for costly

recorded that

his bills for lace

William

Dutch

the national

and

the

Mary.

and

William

embroidery had

for

during

languished

the

heavy,

prevailed

the

patterns were imported with

The

lace,

the

style

II.,

reached

Some

^^2460.

the

of the

items of this account are very curious,

taste

and fashion

new

for six

the

illustrating

prevailing

Lace

of the day.

razor cloths

amounted

ÂŁ2go, and ÂŁ'\gg was expended on lace for twenty-four new nightshirts, and ;^663

trimming two dozen

for

Pocket handkerchiefs were

cravats.

and

costly in these days,

resting

learn

was employed

The sum upon

that

for

"cut

their

;^488

this variety of

was

inte-

work"

adornment.

expended

Curtain embroidered with Exotic Birds

needlework

for

one dozen pocket handkerchiefs

for

Plants

(English, early

In the possession

Lady Brougham and Vaux.

Queen Mary was

the King's use. in

her expenditure,

H er

year 1694 amounted to less than ;;^20oo. in

Tropical

i8th Century.) of

more moderate

and

coloured Crewels.

bill

for

There

lace

for

tlie

no mention

these rolls of any large sums expended for embroidery as

P 2

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

io8 former reigns, so

we may conclude

that

no longer enjoyed

Royal favour. no longer patronised

by Royalty

was

still

extensively

practised by ladies of the upper and middle classes for domestic

Charming examples

purposes.

the reign of

Queen Anne, and the

century, are

still

better

became

met with

to be

prevailed

taste

and

greater accuracy of

detail

lighter

grotesque and

and bed hangings

of curtains

earlier years of the eighteenth

old country houses.

and the designs

period,

this

Nature was copied with

flowing.

and truthfulness

The

colouring.

extravagant designs of the earlier reigns almost

and there was a decided leaning towards

entirely disappeared,

natural in the place of conventional treatment.

Perhaps the influence of such

Adams may have had something

Chippendale and

artists

do with

this

The Adams,

change.

designs of the beautiful mantelpieces and woodwork of

and the lovely carved perfection of

a revolution

The

detail

furniture of Chippendale, with

and graceful

exquisite

could not help effecting

lines,

public taste.

and couches had

dainty chairs

and

furniture

harsh, or glaring would

be covered with a

the delicate and elaborate design of

curtains to suit

the decoration

the windows had to be

correspondingly beautiful material, and

hung with

its

the

room.

Nothing crude, or

harmonize with the chaste and elegant

creations of these great artists.

Quite naturally, from their examples, and through their ence, a call

new

Queen Anne.

Georges,

but

not Hanoverian rite

emblem

Stuarts

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

influ-

style arose which, for want of a better name,

;

prevailed during the reigns of the earlier

had nothing it

common

was Jacobean from

nearly

carnation.

all

this It

first

with

The emblem

was

to last.

favouof

work

the

met with

old

them.

the

many examples;

JACOBEAN WORK. detached

generally in beautiful its

and opening bud

stalk

stiff

flowers

emblem

(the

or introduced with other flowers and in

border,

away

hidden

many

the Pretender),

and out

leaves, twisted in

corner.

with

colours,

always an

evidence of the loyalty of the worker.

Sometimes to

be chivalrous,

young

those

women had

Taunton,

girls of

troubled

suffer

maids of honour of the Queen of James embroidering a banner for the

for

their

for

The coverings worked on

to the

Monmouth.

chairs

for

2000

the price of a pardon

II.,

ill-fated

silk

The

loyalty.

recorded, had to jDay

when men even forgot

days,

and couches and

footstools at this period were of the utmost perfection of needle-

work, and of graceful and appropriate design. of

these

delightful

specimens remain to

so well;

fallen

pieces,

add an indescribable grace as nothing

us,

that

else will

the

Puritan

husbands and brothers beautiful

exile, It

They

still

room, and bring back to

bring back, "the faded light of a day

dead."

When

ladies in

sailed

England with

from

the Mayflojver,

they had learned

art

Let us hope

them.

an old

not fared

the ground-

and the colours faded. to

many

and are not the

sun has affected them, and

possibly the

work has

us,

The hangings have

treasured of our heirlooms.

least

Fortunately

1620, they took the

and practised

was a solace

them

their

England with

in their

self-enforced

and amid the many hardships they endured so bravely.

took

root

and sprang up as

all

the

other arts

they took

with

them sprang up and

fully

preserved specimens of the loving patient labour of those

old workers

may

still

where the traditions

flourished

be seen

that

virgin

many New England

of the past are

soil.

Care-

households,

held as dear as the stirring

interests of to-day.

America has

its

own school

of art

embroidery;

has a mixed

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

nationality,

and

bizarre,

but underlying

these

the

are

quaint

full

old

present

country

this

the

many

all

interchange

once to drop

common

connection

their

patient workers are dead, their descendants, the

still

by so

the brave,

American women

common

only allied to us by a

not

the

patterns.

and though centuries have passed, and

of to-day, are

until

the work of their sisters in

They were endeared

country.

settlers

the Mayflower.

New England

identical with

be likely

not

old

ties,

ladies

probably there was an

;

They would with

was

century,

the

surprises,

methods the pilgrim

brought with them from the old country

The embroidery

and

effects

faith,

and a

language, but they are fellow needlewomen, and share

with us our history and our traditions.

Tambour work on sively both in

cambric or muslin was practised exten-

fine

England and America

The

Indian dimity patterns chiefly.

drawn, and worked to

the

work

With the in

lace stitches

tambour

beautiful

lovely old

the interstices,

needlework.

great is

deal

addition of

certain

effect

Louis

Quatorze.

richness and

Still,

was

this

in existence.

still

Hanover, a heavy kind

embroidery

gold and silver was introduced from Germany, a kind of

Anglo-German

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

muslin was often cut and

of our quite recent ancestors

House

Queen Anne

the reign of

not

stiff

without

magnificence, and was suited to

the decoration of coronation robes, beds of state, and hangings for

occasions of ceremony.

for a

satin

was sometimes used

groundwork, and some embroidered dresses and waistcoats

the time of the

silks,

White

Georges, embroidered

are well worthy our careful study In

the recent

exhibition

the

gold and coloured

and admiration.

Burlington Fine Arts Club

(1891) were some beautiful examples of embroidered book covers,

mostly English examples, bof)kbinding exclusively an

English

art.

needlework being almost

Among them was

Bible printed

JACOBEAN WORK. in

Cambridge

1638, covered

on either side embroidered with the arms and

silks,

Psalms and

roses

the

New

corners.

gold and silver thread and coloured

initials

Testament.

crimson velvet, with the cover

velvet,

was printed

each

cover

A Book London

having

and with Tudor

I.,

Lent by Mr. Alfred Huth.

give an illustration, was lent by " It

Charles

the

Common

(See

Prayer,

Her Majesty 1638, and

badge

and

113.)

which

the Queen.

covered

initials

blue

Charles

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

Prince of it

silver

thread.

The crown and

and ostrich plumes are

Psalms and

New

Testament.

handsome arabesque are worked in

work

King Charles

Wales, afterwards

done

all

Lent by the Rev. K. F. Gibbs.

border.

metal threads.

The but,

motto, both on blue satin,

highly raised, and

coloured silks; in

embroidered

I.,

the

(See

113.)

jewels on

the

with

exception,

this

very

two coronets all

the

JACOBEAN WORK.

"On

the double book (lent by Alfred Huth, Esq.), covered

white satin, the embroidery

both sides,

in delicate

the middle,

of triple

from

braid,

silver

two graceful

The the

" It

New

inclosed in an

silver

flat

with small pieces of

filled

gauffred lent

little

white satin, and

found

1629-30.

adorned with a simple

The edges

pattern

book

of this

interlacing semicircles.

These

by the Rev. K. F. Gibbs. silk

London

pattern worked in braid and purl roses, blue

with a delicate

originally

double book containing

edges and yellow at the centre.

at the

wrapping cords, but

double books

little

these

now

are

rarely

intact.

" All

the

drawings are of

some missing and frayed

books,

The sacred flame

of art

beginning of the present

the

same

size

Charlotte.

worked

work

old

century.

silk

It it

was not even

was

and chenille of

not, as

at the

flickering.

many would

Witness the lovely the time

Queen

mouldered

into

dust.

Not very

examples were screens and chair covers, but exqui-

worked of

original

Every old family has some treasured example of

by hands long ago

ambitious

baskets

the

had by no means died out

have us believe, by any means extinguished. delicate

parts having been restored."

had changed with the times, but

sitely

oval

two extremities of which issue

Testament, printed

covered

but very effective

iris,

gimp, sewn on sometimes singly and sometimes double."

the Psalms and

had

flower

corners are

Another interesting example

worked a yellow and blue

padded and worked over with

scrolls,

The spaces and

silver

are

effective.

feather stitch, the three yellow petals delicately shading

shading into a darker blue.

gimp.

and

particularly simple

on the centre veins, and the two upper blue petals

red

into

delightful old-fashioned patterns,

flowers,

and

true-lovers'

knots, like

with vases, or the

pictures of

the old Dutch artists.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

114

A of it

fashion sprang up about the middle of the last century

copying pictures by well-known

was short

The very

excellent.

was worked about good example embroidered seen at

time

this

the

art

what

the

silk

all

productions were

Charlotte, which

mid-Georgian period.

purple

satin,

these faded records

our national history.

we value

hands that worked the

Queen

for

fortunately

a is

and may be

Court.

of affectionate interest that

the dear

Linwood's

;

bed we have before mentioned

beautiful

interesting are

a landmark

Miss

crewels and

Hampton

How

though

lived,

worsteds

artists in

grace and

it,

fashion

Embroidery

not only as an object

it,

not only for the sake of

but as of a

preserving to us some-

day long dead, bridging

over the long intervals of the centuries, and bringing us within

touch of a more pious and painstaking age. pierce the obscurity of

history, and, looking

enables us to

backward through

the years, see the manners and occupations of our ancestors.

The needle has been

women from

the

earliest

the comfort and consolation of English times, from

the dwellings of the Neolithic

the bone needle found

Cave-man before the

period in Britain, to the present day, and

and a delight as long as the world

lasts.

will still

last

glacial

be a solace

CHAPTER SYMBOLISM

XIII.

MEDI/EVAL EMBROIDERY.

" Nothing walks with aimless feet."

Symbolism

from the

earliest

time lent

The most

significance to the embroiderer's art.

are preserved to us, or of which

that

What metaphor

distinctly symbolical.

understanding,

the to

the

symbol

charm and

peculiar

its

ancient examples

we have any

record,

or figurative speech

the

mind some other object than

bringing

eye,

itself

which

are to

vividly

the

type.

Holy Writ the

Pentateuch

brazen

serpent

full

the

symbolism, from, the bow of promise chapter of the

last

of the wilderness

priestly garments,

Aaron, the

coverings

the

The

Apocalypse.

the

journey,

stones

worn by

the tabernacle,

the visions of the prophets, the inspired songs of the Psalmist, the

wisdom

ment,

of the Sage, the divine

form

one long

roll

metaphors

through

the

of the

world's

New

Testaof

the

Basil

and

history

sublimest allegory. the early years of the Christian

In St.

Ambrose

(in

symbolism, and laity as well as It

Church,

St.

the fourth century) wrote elaborate treatises on it

continued

be a favourite study with

the clergy until the Reformation.

interesting to notice that the "

gammadion

the earliest symbols met with on heathen productions.

example tradition

of is

the

this

web

the

Pharaonic

handed down by the Rabbins

that

the

one of

The period.

first

mark the

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

ii6 Israelites

made upon

sacrificial

lamb was fashioned

form

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that

The Egyptians,

Tau

the letter

the

olden

its

and

Tau on

the doorposts of the Hebrews

regarded

scathless,

the

secret

their

Henceforth a Tau was regarded as a symbol of

deliverance.

health and safety, of happiness and future

blood

the

after that eventful night of lamentation

woe, beholding the bloody

who had gone

with

the shape of a cross.

is,

doorposts

their

Rufinus

(a.d.

and

397),

life.

mentioned

by Socrates

again

(440).

demolishing a temple at Alexandria dedicated to Serapis, several stones

showed

were found which

the

occurs on the tunic of a grave-digger frequently found on Christian

The

Tau had

old

figure

cross,

;

four of

and

embroidery.

these

was

modifications.

gamma takes gammas fall into the form that

this

Sometimes only a

being alwavs significant of the whole.

was widened by

occurs on the mitre of St.

;

occurs, the part

ancient signification

was also regarded as a memorial

the stigmata in the hands

and

early ecclesiastical

Thomas of

feet

St.

The

Isle of

Man

everything around them.

minds

saw emblems

The wings

five

Thomas

another form of

early Christians, with their

resurrection of their Lord, in

many

Anglo-Saxon work.

and was adopted as a device by those who bore ensign of the

at Sens,

Our Lord's

was thus often shown

most

mediaeval monuments, and very frequently It

mediaeval

the completer doctrine of the atonement.

an edge of the tunic of the apostles

work.

shape of the Greek

Its

set forth also Christ as our corner-stone

Greek

and embraced, besides the emblem

Christianity,

of a " future life,"

the shape of a right

gamma

single

the

was used

Egypt.

alphabet the capital letter of angle

cross.

the catacombs, and

monuments

several

full

his

wounds,

name.

Assisi,

The

it.

of the

of His cross

death and

and passion

of birds flying in the air.

SYMBOLISM the boughs of

even

MEDIEVAL EMBROIDERY.

forest trees,

image that was ever

the diverging roads on a highway,

their minds.

There were many forms and all

varieties

which we are well acquainted.

II7

masts of ships on the sea they saw the sacred

the

Cross, with

the

Five red marks or jewels

are sometimes seen on the extremities and centre of the cross,

these are

emblems

with

four

its

members,

equal

great

sacrifice

globe.

The

foundation

of the five sacred

extends

three

steps

Faith,

over the

Hope, and

Charity

lowest and widest, the foundation of cross

saltire

an emblem

usually

quarters

four

all

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Charity

the

triple

being

the

Christian virtues.

The

cross

martyrdom.

the

typify the

cross

Latin

the

cross,

blessings which

the

signify

equally

The Greek

wounds.

with the arms breaking into leaf and blossom are symbolical of its

triumph over

Sometimes

and persecution.

sin

spreading, like a goodly tree,

for the

shelter

shown

and protection

the Church.

The

cross

always the symbol of Christ, though sometimes

represented under the figure of a lamb.

the earliest figure

we meet with

This, indeed,

The Good

the catacombs.

Shepherd bearing a lamb on His shoulders, or surrounded by His sheep, was a very favourite symbol

Church.

depicted,

Sometimes the lamb only

the early ages of the with

invested

a nimbus, and bearing a cross, or a small banner, symbolical of Christ's victory over death

The

vine

His

typifies

and

hell.

also a symbol of our Lord

and passion

death

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

;

giving

a bunch of grapes

His

body and

blood for man.

The

earliest figure

used

Father, was a hand issuing

was

alone

Deity.

used

The hand

up is

for expressing the

from

the

frequently

the

ninth

Deity,

clouds of

century

graspmg some

God

This

heaven. indicate

object, but

the

some-

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

ii8 times

open, with rays of light issuing between the fingers,

symbolic of Divine grace bestowed on man. represented

the

act

and

blessing,

but

occasionally,

most often

not always, surrounded by a nimbus.

The Holy Ghost,

Sometimes seven doves are depicted, representing

by a dove.

the Seven Spirits of

God

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

lamps have also the same

The

triangle

times the It

secting each

the distinct symbol of

Three open

Some-

the Trinity.

same

Two

century.

sometimes used

are

Seven

gifts of the Spirit.

signification.

until the tenth

other

of the Trinity.

seven

or shamrock, bears also the

trefoil,

was not used

the

the twelfth century, was symbolised

until

significance.

triangles

inter-

express the infinity

or rings, entwined have also

circles,

same symbolic meaning.

The nimbus was adopted by

early Christian artists to express

proof

divinity or deification, or as a peculiar

nimbus,

unlike

the

behind the head

crown,

appeared only as a ring or

Christian art

Spirit

issuing

circular,

varieties of

from

Deity its

The nimbi and more or

of less

The pomegranate

hope

seeds displayed in

immortality.

In the

Early examples of

observing these hints.

The nimbus

The nimbus ;

Apostles,

Saints,

but

the

the Virgin,

ornamented,

and

Holy

circular

not

tri-

Martyrs are

ornamented. introduced

very

.work, generally as a border of a design.

the

After that time

usually a circular disc with

centre.

elaborately

a disc or plate

the nimbus.

The

holiness.

hovering over the head.

sometimes a plain triangle

and nearly always radiated.

circlet

may be approximately dated by

Persons of the

rays

three

disappeared altogether.

There are several the three

represented

the fifteenth century.

until

seventeenth century

frequently

When

into

old

burst open and

an emblem of the future

fife,

and of

SYMBOLISM The palm

The sword tyrdom

and pain

symbol

also a

emblematic

and a crown

;

and

triumph,

victory,

death and suffering mar-

are

too,

sake

for the truth's

sovereignty,

of violent

Arrows,

Christ.

for

119

generally accepted as the symbol of martyrdom.

MEDI/EVAL EMBROIDERY.

glory

the

symbol

the

suffering

and

reward of

martyrdom.

circle

and earthly

of the earth

used it

persons.

living

for

emblem

the

and devotion

The anchor

flames issuing

;

one of the

hope, endurance, and of

charity,

out

it,

the catacombs

;

heart,

also symbolical of love

an emblem

and sometimes remorse emblematic

symbols

earliest

patience.

depicted pierced with arrows contrition,

emblem

square, an

used sometimes as a nimbus

found frequently

emblem

and

penitence

;

life

eternity.

of it

Christian art

besides being the

emblem

the

;

fervent

with

zeal

for

Christ.

dove

with

nimbus,

banner

of love, innocence, in

mouth,

its

meekness, purity.

peace

;

with

the symbol of the Holy Ghost. a sign of triumph over death and persecution.

An open book hands

branch

olive is

emblem

the

saint,

symbol

a it

truths of the Gospel

;

perfect

that

signifies

a closed

knowledge

the

was a teacher

the

signifies

roll

;

or imperfect

partial

knowledge.

A shell

lamp burning symbolises wisdom and the

emblem

of a pilgrim

piety.

escalop

a scourge of self-mortification

;

and penance.

sin.

A pig was A dragon

emblematic of the pollution of the world through

was the symbol

represented as a serpent.

form of an ape. cunning.

Apes

the

Evil

Spirit,

who

also

Sometimes, indeed, Satan takes the are

also

emblematic of

sin,

lust,

and

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

I20

apple

original

symbolical of the

Baptism

sin.

sometimes three fishes

fall

man

also represents

;

represented under the figure of a fish

;

the form of a triangle, the type of the

Trinity.

symbolises

pelican

the cross

;

generally depicted as shedding

young, which cluster round is

used as a symbol

also

the

are

upon

Christ

blood for

its

catch the precious drops.

and the phoenix

peacock,

blood-shedding of

the

The

resurrection.

lion,

used as emblems

also

the the

resurrection.

The brazen

serpent

met with

often

work

an emblem of the Crucifixion, and

The

Middle Ages.

of the

Isaac and the paschal lamb were also symbols of

sacrifice of

the sacrifice

of Christ.

The cup garden. The and the

The

thirty

basin and the

thorns,

the

spear,

an emblem of the Agony of our Lord

sword, the pieces of

the

club,

silver are

ewer (used by the

nails,

the

scourge, the

inscription,

significant

the

purple

dice that were used in casting lots for

robe,

crown

the reed, the

and the three

emblems

are

it,

the Betrayal.

rope, the

garment,

seamless

the

the ear, the torch,

lantern,

Pilate),

the

Crucifixion.

An the

eagle,

fiying

Ascension.

The

Elijah

the

fiery

upward

translation

chariot

are

often of

also

used as an emblem of

Enoch, and the

fiight

symbolical of our

Lord's

Ascension.

The

rose,

which appears under many conventional forms,

symbolises religious ectasy the vine

;

the palm, victory

an emblem of joy and plenty

the ivy, friendship

;

the olive, peace

the

oak, strength

;

the lotus flower representing the sun.

Christian Art accepted the old

them hidden meanings.

Pagan forms, but added

Every design we meet with on early

SYMBOLISM examples

Symbolism, which was intention

religious

wave

Art

decorative

M EDI/EVA

humblest

the

pattern, that

Christian art, gave a

all

The key

design.

pattern,

are so familiar with, symbolises undy-

ing force, eternal unrest, continuity

suggesting the key of

had an intention and a meaning.

the root of

kmbroii)1':r\'

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

locking and unlocking

Pagan

Friezes of garlands, an old

life.

ornament, generally connected with sacrifices, represent the joy of Nature, the rejoicing of the fruitful earth.

The

familiar

egg and tongue

pattern

from

derived

the lotus, representing the bud and blossom.

The wheel other

pattern

There

subjects.

The wheels

very ancient. the

also

"daisy" and the "bead"

have come down to us from an

pattern which

and are not without intention and

often enclose

unknown

age,

motive."

Reptiles and insects, besides birds, and animals, and fishes,

The

had a symbolical meaning.

virtues

and vices were com-

monly represented by animals.

exercised

beasts,

meet

Middle

the

department churches,

Bestiana^

kinds

all

wyverns

and

decorative

fanciful

gargoyles

church doors are

the

symbolism

the

designs

the

instances

roofs, of

artists.

every

The grinning wide-mouthed heads

art.

the

panum over

TJie'

ingenuity of

the

them

with

Ages

our

the tym-

this

mode

treatment.

The grew

tree

life

(symbolising probably the tree of

Paradise), the sacred

as a shrub bearing a series of

sometimes

its

motive.

heart,

umbels

Zoroaster, of

that

represented

seven flowers each

;

expressed by the cone-fruit alone, the essential

emblem, a plant within a in

tree of

life

amid

the

plant.

The palm

tree carrying a

crown oF fronds preserves the

Pomegranates, pineapples, and artichokes

same symbolical meaning.

cone

original

ha\'e als(T the

â&#x20AC;˘

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

122

The

chrysoclavus, a

nail-headed design of

was also a Christian symbol. circles

touching each

closely

and

inserted,

Sometimes

interstitial

with

other,

coloured discs,

represented as

the

ornament between the

heads of saints circles.

also

represents the heads of the nails of the Crucifixion.

The Varieties of the Cross. Figs. Fig.

The

and

The

Anticipatory, or

Latin Cross.

brazen serpent was

lifted

resemblance

Greek

to the

The

Fig. 4. the

Church

letter

T, and

The Greek

Fig.

St.

Fig.

The Maltese

Greek

used

Cross,

With three arms

Fig.

Old Testament (on which the

sometimes called the Tau Cross, from

Fcclesiastical

Rome.

up).

Cross of the

art

the Cross of

St.

its

Anthony.

by Cardinals and Archbishops

{4a) by the Pope.

Cross.

Andrew's Cross, termed Cross.

heraldy the Cross Saldre.

was borne by the Knights Templars, and

the Knights of St. John. Fig.

The Cross Botonee, has

Fig.

The Cross Pommee,

Fig.

10.

the extremities decorated with trefoils.

has the arms terminated by circles.

The Cross Moline, has

extremities

the

arms divided

into

two curves. Fig.

II.

The Cross

Fleurie,

has

the

arms terminating

triple

leaved

extremities.

Figs.

same

and

13.

The Cross

Patonce,

are

Greek and Latin

varieties of the

cross.

formed of four Tau Crosses.

Fig.

14.

The Cross

Potent,

Fig.

15.

The Cross

Potent rebated, seldom occurs except in heraldry.

iMg.

16.

together.

The

Cross

Crosslet,

comjjosed

four

Latin

Crosses

joined

SYMROI.ISM

MF.ni.KVAL

M HRO

[

DF.in'.

The Varietiks of the Cross.

R 2

124

OI'l^

ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

Fig.

Emblem

Fig.

The

Baptism under the sanction of the Divine Trinity.

Latin Cross, two only of the limbs touching the circle.

Fig. 3.

The Greek Cross

Fig.

The

Figs.

4. 5

and

Trefoil, 01 6.

in a circle.

Shamrock, emblem of the

Eml)lems

of the

Holv

Trinity,

Trinity.

CHAPTER

XIV.

EMBLEMS AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE SAINTS.

From

Apostles, saints, and

the earlier ages of the Church the

martyrs were represented by symbols, and the Middle

Ages

all

productions of

the time of the Renaissance, they were

until

associated with them for the purposes of identification.

The

Evangelists

four

winged animals described vision of Ezekiel. is

are in

represented

four

mystic

the Revelation of St. John, and the

Jerome, writing early

St.

by the

the

fifth

century,

the earliest authority for their appropriation. St.

Matthew was represented wiih

his gospel

he dwells more on the

the face of a man, as in

human

nature of our Lord than

on the divine. St.

dignity

Mark by

of Christ,

lion,

because

his

gospel dwells on the royal

and His power as manifested

His Resur-

rection. St.

Luke by an

sacrificial

for sin

of our

Lord.

dwelling

upon the priesthood and

The ox

typifying

the

atonement

by blood.

St.

into

work

ox, as

John

represented by an eagle, from his deep insight

the divine nature of Christ, and from his soaring

spirit

to the

heavens, and being accorded the revelation of the future

of the

Church.

These symbols

the

Evangelists are

with wings, and invested with a nimbus.

usually

represented

Frequently they appear

OT.D

work as heads

early

EMBROIDERY.

ENGLISH

human

creatures on

of mystical

shapes,

and sometimes only the heads and the wings are represented,

and

nearly every case with a nimbus.

Occasionally they are

seen united together, and forming one mysterious being, which in

early Christian art

was known as the Tetramorph.

The Apostles were usually represented with their emblems in their hands, and generally carrying books emblematic of

sacred

their

oflfice

teachers

Sometimes they are represented as twelve lambs procession,

the thirteenth, symbolizing

particular or scrolls

the

gospel.

regular

Lord, being invested

our

with a nimbus.

The

lesser

have

saints

all,

nearly

all,

distinguishing

emblems, but some emblems are borne by more than one, and are

common

the book.

many

to It

saints,

mark

are those of

met with on sword

shears

their lives, as

The

are

saints

well

saints that

torture,

represented

as by the instru-

we have enumerated

Church which are most frequently

represented with an anvil, generally holding a

Agatha

of the

early examples of Christian art.

his right

St.

Anglican

the

Adrian

Many

martyrdom.

of their

St.

or used as an instrument of

of distinction.

by remarkable incidents

ments

palm and the sword and

the

necessary to observe the way the emblem

introduced, whether worn or a

one

hand. represented

hand, and

her

holding

breast,

pair

which was cut

pincers off,

the

other. St.

purity,

Agnes, with a lamb, emblematical

sometimes

holding a

sword

her

name and

hand and a palm

branch. St.

Aidan,

Bishop of

Lindisfarne,

651,

may sometimes

seen holding a burning torch. St. Alena, with

one arm torn

off.

angel encouraging her.

KM HI. F.MS OF THF SAINTS. St.

Alexandrina, spinning.

St.

Alban,

protomartyr

generally represented holding a scourge

Britain,

303,

with

hand, holding a cross, sometimes a pahn branch

his

St.

Ambrose

hand,

his

St.

allusion to that St.

alluding

Theodosius, after

massacre

the

on which

Master

his

retains

still

refusing to

Emperor

the

of the inhabitants of Thessalonica.

which

cross,

humility

his

excommunication

his

Andrew,

name,

his

on a cross similar

suffer

suffered.

Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury,

beholding

109,

represented

a vision the infant Jesus and His mother appearing

him.

St.

Anthony

mendicancy Sr.

sword

cross shaped like

;

ApoUonia suffered a

she

to this

always

denoting his

bell

on his cloak, pig by his

martyrdom,

terrible

which she had her teeth drawn out

allusion

and

with a staff

Nitria,

the

side.

course

a barbarous manner.

represented

holding a tooth

In in

pair of pincers. St.

Athanasius, robed as a Greek archbishop,

open book St.

and the

Augustin,

St.

axe

bitter

bishop and doctor, with a

heart

arrow, allusive to the burning zeal

burning or his faith

repentance for the sins of his African youth.

Alphege, with the instrument of his martyrdom, a battle-

sometimes with

;

hands.

his

pierced with an

holding

his

chasuble

full

stones, being

stoned

almost to death, and afterwards beheaded. Barbara, holding a tower,

soned

her.

which her father had impri-

Discovering that she was a Christian,

said that

he beheaded her with his own hand. St.

Bartholomew, holding the knife by which he was flayed

St.

Benedict,

alive.

holding

the

broken

cup,

from

the

legend,

OLD HNGI.ISH EMHROIDERY.

128

some

him a cup

that

hand

with

away by

carried

cup broke, and

the

it,

bread

loaf of

poison

him

by offering

poisoned wine to drink, but on reaching out his

bless

monks attempted

his

serpent

perceived the

crawling

over

raven, alludes to another

plot.

being

it,

attempt to poison

him. St.

Barnabas, stoned, pressing a stone to his breast.

St.

Bertha, Abbess, 725, holding a church

her hands as

the foundress. St.

Britius,

St.

Blase,

carrying burning coals.

bishop and martyr, with crosier and book

holding a rake of Boniface,

St.

one

martyr,

iron,

;

also

the instruments of his torture. allusion

martyrdom,

his

represented thrown into a cauldron of boiling pitch. St. is

Botolph, abbot and patron saint of beggars.

always to

on the ancient boundary of a town, as

seen

His church

the church of mendicants.

represented

a seal

the

Chapter House, Westminster, as seated with a bishop on either side,

and a church with a St. Basil, carrying a

poor

man St.

;

a column of

star

and crescent below.

model or

fire,

church;

of a

dove at

Catherine, with a broken wheel,

From

knives.

the wheel to be

the legend,

that

tortured, an

angel

his

giving food to a head.

armed with saws and

she was being fastened

appeared and destroyed

before the multitudes assembled. St.

Cecilia,

with

small

organ,

the patron

saint

church music. St.

to her

Christina,

with

millstone

about her neck,

as a

allusion

being thrown into a lake, and miraculously supported by

angels, while our Saviour baptized her, giving her His St.

Christopher, a

little

child

upon

man

own name.

of gigantic stature, carrying our I.ord

his slioulder, in allusion

to the

well-known

EMBLEMS OF THE SAINTS. conveying Christ, bearing the

legend of

his

across the

river,

Clara,

St.

upon

his shoulders.

the order of

dress of

the world,

sin

holding

St. Francis,

the receptacle of the Host, with which she repulsed the Saracens

when they attacked

the monastery of Assisi.

St.

Cosmo, with

St.

Crispin,

and mortar.

pestle

patron

saint

shoemakers, generally

sented with shoemaker's tools, or strips of leather,

repre-

allusion to

his trade. St.

Cuthbert, bishop and confessor,

Cathedral,

with the head of

represented

Durham

a statue at

Oswald

St.

often

;

with animals around him, otters, &c. St.

Cyprian

books

of casting his

the act

magic

into

the frames. St.

Damian, physician, with a

St.

Dominic

sometimes

seen with a

always

dog lying

blazing torch, alluding to a birth

his

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that

she

bottle.

his

holding

feet,

dream

star

his

on his forehead, in

its

mouth a

mother's, just

should bear a dog that should set

before fire

the world. St.

Dorothy, bearing roses and apples

her

lap

;

some-

times with a basket of flowers. St.

Dunstan

Library,

Oxford,

His emblem St.

with is

the act

a window

seizing

the

devil

the Bodleian

with

pincers.

a harp and a pair of furnace tongs.

Edmund,

arrows.

represented,

870, king and martyr,

represented

pierced

the eastern window of Saxlingham Church he

represented kneeling on one

knee,

offering

quiver

full

arrows to heaven. St.

cup is

Edward, 979, king, his hand.

represented

in royal

the rood-screen of

robes, holding

Trimingham Church

represented with a dagger and falcon. S

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

I30

St.

Edward

the Confessor,

hand and a ring

Hungary

bread or roses

basket of

her hand,

allusion to the legend

was carrying bread

poor, he lifted

the napkin to see what was beneath

the bread had

become

St.

to the

and

it,

roses.

archbishop,

Elphege,

one

represented crowned, with a

meeting her husband as she

that,

the other.

Elizabeth

St.

Holding a sceptre

1066.

1012,

with

chasuble

his

full

stones. St. in

In allusion to this he

a peculiarly horrible form.

on windows and

represented with bowel St.

tree

wound round a

holdlnij

679,

often seen

holding a

windlass

she

represented

generally

book

and

crosier

Cathedral

Ely

sculpture

it.

abbess,

Ethelreda,

crowned, lantern

martyr, 303, suffered martyrdom

Erasmus, bishop and

hand.

her

as the

represented

sleeping, with

crown, and

bearing a sword

blossoming over her head. St.

wearing a papal

Fabian,

and palm branch. St.

Faith, holding a bundle of rods.

St.

Francis of

Assisi,

1226, crowned

with thorns, with the

stigmata on his hands. St.

Genevieve

Martham Church, St.

represented spinning

in a

armour carrying a banner his

feet,

represented

Norfolk.

George, the patron saint of England,

dragon at

window once,

the

cross,

from the legend of

and treading down a his

rescuing a

king's

daughter from the power of the dragon. St.

Giles,

the

patron

saint

lepers, especially venerated

represented as an aged man,

England and

the dress of a Benedictine monk, with a hind

arrow

his

Scotland.

arms.

pierced by an

EMBLEMS OH THE SAINTS.

St.

Gertrude, with a

St.

Gregory the Great, pope and father

loaf.

represented with a dove on

shoulder, or near his ear, as

his

Holy Ghost.

inspired by the St.

the Church, he

Guthlac, hermit, 714, founder of Croyland Abbey, repre-

sented with a scourge

hand putting

his

devils

seal

she

flight,

with a whip and a serpent at his feet. St.

abbess.

Hilda,

sented as an abbess

Hartlepool

the

holding a

repre-

priests at an altar

crosier, with

on either side.

mother of Constantine, crowned, carrying a large

St. Helen,

to her finding the true cross.

cross, in allusion St.

treading

Hilary,

emblematic

reptiles,

the

false

doctrine he overthrew. St.

Hubert has

for his

emblem a stag

its

horns, in allusion to the legend of

him St.

wood

the

church of

and

martyr,

represented

the

Sandringham, Norfolk, bearing a blazing globe.

St. Irenaeus, St.

mysterious appearance

its

while hunting.

bishop

Ignatius,

with a crucifix between

bishop and martyr, holding the crosier and book.

James the Great,

with

as a pilgrim,

staff

and scallop

shell.

St.

his

James the

martyrdom. St.

Less, carrying a fuller's bar, the instrument of

Also, he

Jerome, naked and striking

doing penance

the

desert

sented bearing a church the Catholic

In general

Church.

of light are seen

that

represented bearing a cross and book.

his

church

was the founder

Petronius bearing the

more generally he

hands,

this

case

stone

with

;

repre-

signifies

render the symbol more striking, rays

issuing from

the

;

breast

his

the windows. the

some

hands

particular

a saint

church

signifies :

Cathedral of Bologna. S 2

St.

;

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

132

John the Baptist, bearing the cross and lamb.

St.

John the Apostle, holding a cup, from which a serpent

St.

issuing forth, in

As an

evangelist

dress

his

allusion

his

having drunk poison unharmed.

always

and green,

of red

accompanied by

eagle

the symbolical colours of divine

love and hope, particularly hope in immortality. St. Joseph, carrying a

it.

rod flowering, with a dove resting on

always represented as an old

man

part of his dress

always saffron, the symbolical colour of the goodness of God. St.

Jude, bearing a club, the instrument of his martyrdom.

Judas bistre,

His hair

Iscariot, holding a purse.

and

robe dingy yellow.

his

either grey or

Dull, dirty yellow being the

colour of treachery. St.

Lawrence, the

was roasted St.

deacon, with the

on which he

gridiron

alive.

Leonard, the patron saint of captives.

generally holding fetters

his

represented

hands.

St.

Loys with a hammer.

St.

Lucia, holding her eyes, which were plucked out at her

martyrdom, or with the wound

her neck of which she died,

or holding a lamp. St.

Margaret, bearing a cross and treading underfoot

dragon, which appeared to her,

might see her enemy St.

She

Mary,

answer to her prayer that she

a visible form.

Blessed Virgin,

the

always robed

the

carries

lily

chastity.

a red tunic and a blue mantle, the same

as our Lord, signifying divine love, or royalty and constancy. St.

she

Mary Magdalene,

anointed

our

bears the vase of ointment with which

Saviour's

She

feet.

robed

red,

the

colour of love. St. his

Matthew

former

carries a purse,

vocation

;

money bag,

sometimes with a

sword,

the

allusion

instrument

EMBLEMS OF THE of

martyrdom.

his

the form of a letter

Matthias,

St.

represented

also

SAINTS. square

with a

X-

apostle,

bearing

represented

the

halbert,

the instrument of his martyrdom.

Michael, the archangel,

St.

setting

his

foot

either

about he

on Lucifer, act

the

with

represented

generally represented armed,

human

a half

or dragon

him with

transfixing

down

chain him

weighing

scales

lance,

his

and the

souls,

;

Sometimes

the infernal regions.

form

devil

depressing one scale.

Michael

St.

good over

victory of

Eastern

ancient of

spirit

with

evil

idea

and

three

of gold

he threw into

the

children

from infamy

saint

;

children under his

special

sented

children

with

three

evil,

the

purses,

final

traced back to the

antagonism

between the

mingled with a Chaldaic

man.

their influence over the destiny of

originally

balls,

spirit

patron

Nicholas,

may be

idea

perpetual

emblem

received

the this

;

good and the

belief in angels, St.

always

Russia. signifying

represented

the

three

purses

poor man's window to preserve his this

account he

supposed to have

Sometimes he

protection.

coming out

chest

repretub,

kneeling before him.

hung up by her

hair over a furnace.

St.

Olivia,

St.

Odo, stripping himself

St.

Orestes, dragged by wild horses.

St.

Ozias

(or

to clothe the poor.

Orcas), holding a bird with

its

head down-

wards. St.

Osmund,

St.

Oswald, driving the devil

St.

Othmar, with a keg

St.

Osyth, carrying her head cut

St.

Paul,

with a church in his hand.

all

off

a rock.

of wine in his hand. off.

mediicval paintings,

represented holding

OLD

'34 a sword, is

allusion to his death

KM B1U>

F.NGI.ISH

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The

DF.R Y.

type of his countenance

traditional from a very early period.

The

great divisions

first

Church

Christ

They

separated.

;

of the Jews,

into

and the Church

two

of the

represented by St. Peter, and the second

Standing

Paul.

St.

Church

the

The

Gentiles.

Church was always divided

Christian

early

together they represent

hence

Christian

the

we seldom

art

universal

them

see

are usually seen standing on either side of the

Saviour, or painted on the wall on each side of the altar, or on

each side of the chancel arch. St.

tenance

Peter is

always represented holding the keys

also traditional; he

his

;

coun-

generally robed in blue and yellow,

signifying faith and constancy.

Pancras, sword and stone

St.

Peter,

St.

martyr,

represented

with

head.

his

carries

apostle,

Philip,

St.

hand.

his

Dominican

the

hatchet or knife sticking

cross,

significative

his

death. Patrick, trampling on serpents, chasing reptiles.

St.

Radegundes^

veiled; captive, kneeling, holding her

beasts about her.

fetters, with a field of ripe oats, with wild

Roche bears

St.

drawn aside

plague

the

Piacenza. the

year

Europe St. .St.

and

staff,

wears a pilgrim's robe partly

expose a plague spot on contracted is

one of

his left

attending

the

thigh, in allusion

plague-stricken at

the later Christian saints, born

He became

1295.

at the

very

popular

saint

about

throughout

time of the great plague.

Ronan, hooking the

devil's leg with a crosier.

Sebastian, patron saint against plague and pestilence.

represented pierced with arrows, sometimes holding one

hand,

broken

allusion

his

martyrdom

by Diocletian.

in his is

pro-

bable from the representation of the arrows, that he has always

;

EMBLEMS OF THE SAINTS. been regarded as the protecting

against

saint

arrows

plagues,

having been, from a very early age, the emblem of pestilence. St.

Simeon

St.

Sexburga, queen

Stylltes,

living

upon a

pillar.

and abbess, bearing a palm branch

her hand. St.

and martyr, holding a scythe

Sidwell, virgin

Seven Sleepers, seven holy men asleep guarding them.

angel

bag and large key

rosary,

Sitha,

St.

with

her hand.

cave with an

book, and

three loaves,

St.

Sophronia,

St.

Sylvester

St.

Simon, apostle, carries

her

writing

holding a

a vessel and pitcher.

name on

dragon a

keys, sometimes

by a

saw,

tree.

chain.

instrument

the

his

martyrdom. Stephen, the

St.

proto-martyr, with

which some-

stone

times rests on his head, sometimes holding stones or in

robe,

his

hand.

his

St.

Swithin,

with a cross resting on his right arm.

St.

Thomas

the Apostle, carrying a

carpenter's square, as

patron of architects.

Thomas Aquinas, Dominican,

St.

his

holding

breast,

tabernacle of

with

Host

the

sun

star

hands,

his

sometimes with chalice and sacred Host, or guarded with angels while asleep.

Thomas-a-Becket, a very popular

St.

England with

;

the

pallium,

be met holding

cathedral at Oxford he before the altar.

with

the

many

saint

generally In

cross.

the

the act of being slain

Sometimes as washing the

generally with a sword across the back of St.

Timothy, with a club and a stone

St.

Tobias, with a

lish.

the east of

churches,

archiepiscopal

represented

feet

his

leper

head or mitre.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; stoned

death.

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY.

136 St.

Ursula

represented generally holding an arrow

outstretched hand

her

sometimes she may be seen with the crown

;

as princess, or the pilgrim's staff surmounted by a white banner

with the red cross

she

;

window

holding arroM^s

represented

the choir

Winchester Cathedral

hands

her

with

virgins

protected beneath her mantle. St.

Veronica, holding a

while

the

imprinted with the face of our

the legend that

Saviour, alluding to it

veil

way

wiped His face with

she

Calvary, and that the Divine

the " vera icon^^ was miraculously transferred to St.

leash,

Vitus, a

or with a

St.

likeness,

it.

cock perched on a book, holding a dog lion

Valentine,

or wolf.

giving sight to a

holding a sun

girl,

his

hand. St.

Vedast, a wolf

St.

Walfray

St.

Walstan,

with a goose in

Stylite, living

on a

mouth.

pillar.

crowned,

confessor,

its

holding

his

hand a

scythe and sceptre, two calves below. St.

Wenceslas, warrior

with white eagle, reaping St.

corn

armour for

altar

Winifred, carrying her head

Adam

bearing a

cut

red

standard

bread. off.

represented with a spade.

Eve, with a distaff or an apple.

Moses, with the tables

of the law;

his face

"horned" and

shining.

Aaron, wiih a censer and a rod.

Noah, with an

ark,

and dove with

olive

branch.

job, on a dunghill, with his wife upbraiding him.

Jonah, with a whale, and a ship near him.

Samson, with the jaw-bone Gideon, bending over a Joseph, holding a purse.

of an ass.

fleece.

EMBLEMS OF THE

SAINTS.

gateway

Ezekiel, with a turreted

hand.

his

137

clothed with a sack, sawed asunder.

Isaiah,

Jeremiah, with a wand.

Amos, with a shepherd's crook. David, with a harp, or as a shepherd with a shng.

among lions. aged man with

Daniel, Elijah,

Precious

diamond

The

humility,

faithful

love^

and

The

and

trial

love,

The

martyrdom.

ruby, love, dignity,

amethyst,

The

sin.

sapphire,

and

fidelity,

pearl,

sorrow,

immortality,

heaven, virtue,

The

contemplation.

topaz, the goodness of God, fruitful-

Other stones and mosaics used

ness, faithfulness.

The

earthly

The emerald, hope

truth.

heavenly

constancy,

The

innocence.

The

significance.

blood and suffering.

carbuncle,

victory over

sardius,

special

their

signifies light, joy, innocence.

purity,

faith,

had also

stones

power.

royal

leather girdle, or in a fiery chariot.

decoration

have the same signification as the colours they present. Colours were used symbolically from the earliest time regard was paid to their signification when grouped than

artistic

guished

especial

attributes.

innocence,

the

colour

faith,

;

White

joy,

and has the same tyrdom

Many

effect.

attributes.

life

Red

power, royal dignity ;

blood, war,

God,

;

directly opposite significance.

jealousy. yellow. sperity

Judas

Green

and

is is

emblem

bountifulness.

their

virginity,

purity,

represents

and anguish.

white,

Blue

emble-

Yellow and gold,

fidelity.

Dingy yellow has a

symbolises faithlessness, deceit,

generally represented the

distin-

signifies Divine love,

also

fruitfulness.

faith,

represents suffering and mar-

matic of piety, sincerity, godliness, the goodness

a subject

may

well

also

silver

;

the passion of our Lord

emblem

the

saints

dress

their

light,

the

;

hope,

Violet,

joy,

passion,

a garment of dirty mirth,

youth, pro-

suffering,

sorrow,

OLD ENGLISH EMBROIDERY. humility,

represented darkness,

The

love and

fervent

five

despair,

sorrow,

I^evitical

colours,

were retained

all

lands and

Chaucer and the speare.

all

red,

ages

;

and

purple,

blue,

with

met

middle ages

with

was

also of the Virgin

humiliation.

;

the

and gold

white,

flowers has been cultivated

mention

find frequent

its

trailing branches,

but

the

favourite

lily,

the

emblem

Shake-

an emblem of

mourning, and was

much used by widows. It occurs frequently in The olive-branch, the emblem of peace and also often

death,

ritual.

was a favourite emblem

love,

deep

romances, and, at a later time,

old

The woodbine

unchanging

mourning

symbolism

are frequently

the symbolic colour of

the Christian

The language in

Black

violet.

The martyrs

truth.

examples.

early

reconciliation,

flower throughout of virginity

the

and purity;

Mary, and the Virgin Saints.

To minds imbued

with

religious symbolism, every

common

object around them recalls the sublime mysteries of their faith,

and the

life

nature

immortality and the

life

a continual

come.

THE END.

memorial

and

symbol

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