In today’s blog, we will examine the so-called Cappa leonis held in the Cathedral Treasury of Aachen, Germany. A perfect example of more is more. It was likely used as the coronation mantle for Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, crowned in AD 1349 in Aachen and Charles V, Holy Roman Read more
Back in 2020, when we were all cooped up inside, I taught an 8-part series on Zoom called the Imperial Goldwork Course. The series was based on the book “Lehrcurs der Goldstickerei” published in 1902 by Amelie von Saint-George. I have now uploaded the original PDFs and the recorded Zoom Read more
Today, I am sharing a free medieval embroidery pattern with you. Late last year, I visited the Treasury of the basilica of St Servatius in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Among the display cases with medieval textiles sat this very damaged alms purse. Colours faded and threads fallen out. When I studied Read more
The Cathedral Museum of Pisa, Italy, holds an Opus ciprense embroidery in the form of a large antependium. We’ve already visited this museum to study the cope of Gelasius II. What makes this 14th-century antependium so special is that it is one of only three pieces of surviving Opus ciprense: Read more
Literature research on the Opus florentinum embroideries shown in last week’s blog post led to another related piece of gorgeous medieval embroidery. According to the reference, the designs on last week’s chasuble were related to those seen on an antependium now kept at Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. Luckily Read more
Last week, we looked at a piece of medieval embroidery from the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Pisa in Italy. The cope known as the Gelasius II cope exhibits embroidery from the first half of the 14th century and an orphrey from the first half of the 15th century. As Read more
The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Pisa exhibits a magnificent piece of 14th-century Italian embroidery. It is known as the cope of Gelasius II, who was pope from AD 1118 to 1119 and consecrated the Pisa Cathedral. As you can tell from the dates, a 12th-century pope cannot wear a Read more
Let’s trace changes in embroidery techniques from the 14th to the 16th century by examining a popular biblical story. The scene of Noli me tangere (touch me not), in which Mary Magdalene visits the grave and finds it empty, is one of my favourite biblical scenes rendered in medieval embroidery. Read more
Today’s embroidery tutorial was inspired by the tablecloth of the Last Supper in a 14th-century Italian embroidery. By couching down a pair of twisted cream silk threads with a thin, untwisted cream silk thread, it looks as if the tablecloth is made of damask. This is a clever way to Read more
In my current exploration of Opus florentinum goldwork embroidery, I came across an orphrey fragment that puzzles me. Firstly, what does it depict? Is this the Lamentation of Christ as the museum caption suggests? Or is this the Entombment of Christ? And why is the embroidery executed the way it Read more