Last week, I took the train to Burtscheid (Aachen) to revisit the 14th-century goldwork embroidery. I took lots of pictures so I can study the embroidery from the comfort of my home, with the bonus of blowing them up on screen. We already know that the embroideries are no longer Read more
In early 2024, I discovered the charming 14th-century goldwork embroideries of the former Abbey Church of St. Johann in Burtscheid, near Aachen, in the literature. My first visit a couple of months ago was graciously made possible by the parish sacristan and the Historical Society of Burtscheid. We agreed that Read more
In the coming blog posts, we will look at medieval goldwork embroidery produced in Venice, Italy. We are going to start with a beautifully embroidered mitre kept in the Germanisches National Museum in Nuremberg, Germany. The mitre (KG 709) was purchased by the museum from an antiques dealer in Cologne Read more
In the past, my tutorials have shown you how to layer different layers ofembroidery on top of each other to get a particularly sumptuous result. Thisgoldwork embroidery tutorial will add to your skills. This time, you will add a beautiful layer of silken flowers freehand. That’s right—no pattern transfer required. Read more
The past two weeks, we have looked at two beautifully embroidered vestments from the Cathedral Treasury of Gdańsk, Poland. The first one was a white chasuble with Bohemian embroidery, and the second one was a red chasuble with locally produced embroidery. Both chasubles are on permanent display in the Germanisches Read more
Last week, we looked at the first of a series of embroidered vestments from the Cathedral Treasury of St Mary’s in Gdańsk. This week, I have another one for you, featuring whimsical angels. The chasuble cross was likely embroidered in an embroidery workshop in Gdańsk around AD 1430. And there’s Read more
Last week, I reviewed the long-awaited catalogue on the textiles of the Halberstadt Cathedral Treasury. Another Cathedral Treasury with many embroidered vestments from the late medieval period is now divided between Germany and Poland. As in Halberstadt, the textiles of Gdańsk’s St Mary’s Church had survived in the Cathedral Treasury Read more
After having shown you a chasuble cross and a chasuble with outstanding medieval stumpwork, you might feel a little disappointed with this week’s chasuble from Domschatz Fritzlar. Although perhaps not immediately apparent, the embroidery, likely made around AD 1500 in Germany, is actually quite unique. It combines mass-produced standardised design Read more
Last week, we examined a medieval stumpwork chasuble cross from the Domschatzmuseum Chur in Switzerland. This week, I have a very special stumpwork chasuble for you, which is also on display at the Domschatzmuseum Chur. So far, scholars have mainly been interested in the pseudo-Arabic silk fabric of the chasuble. Read more
Last year, whilst on my way to visit my friend Sister M. Chiara, I stumbled upon some lovely medieval stumpwork at the Domschatzmuseum in Chur, Switzerland. Until then, I had no idea that these pieces existed. Late medieval stumpwork is a lot less rare than most people think. However, as Read more