Last week, I introduced you to the literature available on the vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece. This week, we will have a look at what is believed to be the oldest part of the collection: the antependia. The Imperial Treasury in Vienna houses the part that covered the front of the altar (frontal Inv. Nr. KK 17) and the part that covered its back (retrofrontal Inv. Nr. KK 18). Each piece measures 327 x 117-128 cm. It is believed that the embroidery was made between 1425-1440 in Brussels, Belgium, for the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The layout of both antependia is the same. There’s a central orphrey panel surrounded by two layers of three orphrey panels on either side. The central orphrey panel on the retrofrontal (at the top in the above picture) shows the Throne of Mercy (a representation of the Holy Trinity in which God the Father is holding the crucified Christ, and the Holy Ghost is represented as a dove). The top row of orphrey panels surrounding the Throne of Mercy shows the prophets (from left): Hosea, Isaiah, Moses, Habakkuk, Jeremiah and Micah. The bottom row shows the Apostles: Thomas, James the Greater, Peter, Andrew, John and James the Lesser.

The central orphrey panel of the frontal shows the Mystical Marriage of Catherine of Alexandria and/or Catherine of Siena with Christ. In this case, with Catherine of Alexandria and John the Baptist also in attendance. The top row of orphrey panels shows the prophets (from left): Job, Joel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, King David and Daniel. The bottom row shows the Apostles: Jude, Mathew, Philip, Bartholomew, Simon and Matthias. Identification of these figures is aided by the names written above each panel in the frame and by the bible verses written on the scrolls and in the books.

The orphrey panel frame consists of a thinner band of gold threads couched over padding (something soft like wool). The result reminds me of the pattern often seen on strigillated Roman sarcophagi. The couching is very sophisticated with a dark brown thread going around parts of the padding to create a shadow. A thicker band of simple basket weave over string padding follows this thinner band. Often consisting of four pairs of gold threads being couched down with a red silken thread. As the number of threads is not always consistent, this embroidery job was likely undertaken by the apprentices.

In general, the figures are embroidered with incredible skill, whereas the backgrounds seem to have been the domain of the apprentices. This is also clearly seen in the diaper patterns used for parts of the background. Some are quite regular and must be the result of counting the linen threads of the embroidery fabric. Other patterns are far less so. The embroiderer did not count and just winged it.

I’ve already pointed out to you that there is a difference in skill between the figures and the background. When we look at the different directions in which the gold threads have been laid, it becomes clear that several parts were worked on a different piece of linen fabric and appliqued onto the background. This is true for the figures and their paraphernalia.

However, the treatment of the different parts of the design isn’t always the same. In the picture above, Daniel’s hand has been silk-shaded on top of the gold threads – a practice we see very often. Contrary, the gold threads of the halo of Mathew in the picture further up, turn and leave a blank space for the silk-shading of Mathew’s face and hair. Thanks to a bit of wear in his beard, you can see that the silk embroidery is executed directly onto the linen.

And what about the scroll that Daniel is holding? Is that a separate slip on top of the slip of the figure? I don’t think so. It looks like the gold threads of the figure turn where they bump into the threads of the scroll. This seam is neatly covered by a thick, dark brown silk and by what appears to be a chain stitch in passing thread.

There are far too many beautiful details in these pieces for this one blog post. However, I wanted to point out the little lamb that John the Baptist is holding. Its little head is stitched in brick stitch over the gold threads that are used for the or nué of John’s clothing. This is also known as Burden Stitch (usually worked less tightly). The change in technique and thus texture is achieved by grouping the pairs of gold threads differently. Whereas threads 1 and 2, and threads 3 and 4, and threads 5 and 6 are paired for the or nué, this changes for 2 and 3, and 4 and 5 for the brick stitch. This is a technique that is applied throughout the vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

And what do you think of the woollen fleece of the lamb? It appears to be a type of stitch worked with either a full passing thread or just the metal foil as a blending filament, combined with natural silk. And then they probably used a rod and stitched over it. Remove the rod, and you end up with these cute little loops that look like wool.

Literature
Schlosser, J. von, 1912. Der burgundischen Paramentenschatz des Ordens vom goldenen Vliesse. Anton Schroll & Co., Wien.
Schmitz-von Ledebur, K., 2009. Der Messornat des Ordens vom goldenen Vlies: Ein Hauptwerk der burgundischen Hofkunst, in: Marti, S., Borchert, T.-H., Keck, G. (Eds.), Karl der Kühne (1433-1477). Kunst, Krieg und Hofkultur. Belser, Stuttgart, pp. 62–71.
Schmitz-von Ledebur, K., 2010. Das Messornat des Ordens vom Goldenen Vlies: Sticker im Dienste der burgundischen Herzöge, in: Bergemann, U.-C., Stauffer, A. (Eds.), Reiche Bilder. Aspekte zur Produktion und Funktion von Stickereien im Spätmittelalter. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg, pp. 25–36.