Today, I am going to introduce you to a body of medieval goldwork spread across several museums. Two pieces are still housed in the cathedrals where they were used. The third piece is, or was, part of the Keir collection. Its current whereabouts are unknown. I first came across this Read more
Although my interest is primarily medieval goldwork, I have encountered a lot of younger embroidery in my research. Some of it is rather fun, like the needlepoint vestments seen in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Geometric, floral and figural scenes are worked on canvas with cross-stitches, tent stitches, and Read more
Last year, I spent many delightful hours studying the Bologna Cope at the Museo Civico Medievale in Bologna, Italy. This Opus anglicanum cope was made in England between AD 1310 and 1320. The cope was also displayed at the epic Opus anglicanum exhibition in the V&A in 2016/2017. Although the Read more
Several Italian museums hold Opus anglicanum embroidered vestments. On the one hand, this is a testament to the popularity of Opus anglicanum among European clergy in the 13th and 14th centuries. However, it was also the result of the Italians remaining Catholic while England underwent the destruction of the Reformation. Read more
Identifying an embroidery stitch correctly on a historic piece is not always easy. As inspecting the back for correct identification is often necessary, historic embroideries can be challenging. Either the back cannot be checked due to a lining or is displayed, so it is inaccessible. The solution? Make embroidery samples Read more
Last week, we looked at the mitre of St Isidoro, with beautiful pearl embroidery, dating to the second quarter of the 14th century. Today’s mitre with pearl embroidery is slightly younger, dating to the last quarter of the 14th century, and was likely made in Paris. It was once housed Read more
The Saint Stefano church, one of the churches of the seven-churches complex in Bologna, houses a spectacular mitre with pearl embroidery from the second quarter of the 14th century. The iconography is not your average Christian fare, featuring dragons, birds, and lion masks amid foliage. It is, in fact, so Read more
Late last year, I visited the Domschatz Fritzlar. This is a small museum with several embroidered medieval textiles on display, which you can photograph as long as you don’t use flash. The textiles are extremely well-lit and very close to the display case glass. This means that you can examine them Read more
The 14th-century Grandson Antependium is a pretty mix of embroidery techniques, styles, languages and geographical areas. It is one of only three surviving pieces of Opus ciprense embroidery in the world. Another famous antependium in this embroidery style is held at the Cathedral Museum in Pisa, Italy. Let’s explore! The Grandson Read more
A couple of weeks ago, I showed you a curious piece of 12th-century goldwork embroidery from Palermo, Sicily. It was made by sewing down golden tubes and then flattening them. In the meantime, I was able to find a bit more information on the embroidery. These golden tubes are not as rare Read more