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Medieval Splendour in gold thread and silk
The Acupictrix, alias Dr Jessica Grimm, writes a weekly blog on medieval goldwork embroidery and related topics.
Dr Jessica Grimm is a member of Centre International d’Etude des Textiles Ancienes (CIETA), Bundesverband Kunsthandwerk, MEDATS and S.E.W.
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Medieval Goldwork from Tuscany: Pope Nicholas V vestments
This month, we will examine medieval goldwork from Tuscany, Italy. I was fortunate enough to see many of these pieces when they were exhibited at Castello Buonconsiglio in 2019. The series of blog posts is also in preparation for a trip to Tuscany that my husband and I… Read More
Slate Frame Review + Giveaway: Freedom Frame by the Artful Fox
Late last year, the owners of the Artful Fox approached me to review their Freedom Frame. They promise that this slate frame can be dressed within three minutes. It is one of these no-sew slate frames that operate with a slot and dowel system. They sent me the… Read More
Which embroidery stitch is it? Stitch identification.
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… Read More
Pearl-embroidered mitre made by Hans Plock (c. AD 1514)
Last week and the week before, we looked at beautifully pearl-embroidered mitres from Italy and France. Today, we will look at probably the most spectacular pearl-embroidered mitre of them all: the mitre made by Hans Plock for Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg in AD 1514 in Halle, Germany. The… Read More
Pearl-embroidered mitre of Sainte-Chapelle, Paris (France)
Last week, we looked at the pearl-embroidered mitre of St Isidoro, which dates to the second quarter of the 14th-century. Today’s pearl-embroidered mitre is slightly younger and dates to the last quarter of the 14th-century and was likely made in Paris. It was once housed in Sainte-Chapelle, the… Read More
Pearl-embroidered mitre of Saint Isidoro, Bologna (Italy)
The Saint Stefano church, one of the churches of the seven-churches complex in Bologna, houses a spectacular pearl-embroidered mitre from the second quarter of the 14th century. The iconography is not your average Christian fare with dragons, birds, and lion masks amidst foliage. It is, in fact, so… Read More