Goldwork - Acupictrix - Dr Jessica Grimm

11. November 20244. September 202515th century, 16th century, Catharijne Convent Utrecht, Frankfurt Cathedral, Low Countries, Musée Cluny, Musee Diocesain de Namur

Mass-produced medieval goldwork embroidery: The Adoration of the Magi

If you have followed this blog for a while, you already know that medieval goldwork embroidery was mass-produced. The designs were used […]

14. October 20244. September 202516th century, Low Countries, St Nicolai Kalkar

Late medieval vestments in the St Nicolai Church in Kalkar, part II

Last week, I wrote about the embroidered late medieval vestments on display in the St Nicolai Church in Kalkar. We looked in […]

8. October 20244. September 202516th century, Low Countries, St Nicolai Kalkar

Late Medieval Vestments in the St. Nicolai Church in Kalkar, part I

Last year, I visited the St Nicolai Church in Kalkar. The church inventory lists more than 100 medieval vestments in AD 1543.

Finished geometric embroidery sample (5 x 5 cm)

30. September 202423. June 202514th century, England, Opus anglicanum, Tutorial

Tutorial: Underside Couching versus Brick Stitch

Last week, I discussed some Opus anglicanum pieces that show underside couched silk worked in a brick pattern. I wondered what the benefits were […]

Coronation of the Virgin on the Syon cope (83-1864) in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

23. September 20244. September 202514th century, England, Opus anglicanum, Victory & Albert Museum London

The Syon Cope: underside couched silk in Opus anglicanum

While researching the grave finds of some of these bishops and kings, I also came across other small embroidered pieces that piqued my […]

Fragment of the stockings found in the grave of Bishop Walter de Cantilupe of Worcester (AD 1195-1266), Inv. Nr. 1380-1901, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

16. September 20244. September 202513th century, British Museum London, England, Opus anglicanum, Sens Cathedral, Victory & Albert Museum London

The Bishop’s Stockings (buskins/caligae) part II

Last week, we looked at three pairs of stockings from two kings and a bishop. The oldest pair dated to the 11th […]

9. September 20244. September 202511th century, 12th century, Canterbury Cathedral Archives, Domschatz im historischen Museum der Pfalz, England, Germany, Imperial Treasury Vienna, Italy

The Bishop’s Stockings (buskins/caligae) part I

When I was updating my database on medieval goldwork embroidery, I came across beautifully embroidered ceremonial stockings. The use of these stockings […]

Gold Gimp - Chasuble cross Te 154, Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg.

8. July 202425. June 202515th century, Germany

How to make gold gimp?

German medieval embroideries are often characterised by a composite thread not seen elsewhere: gold gimp. This is a relatively thick piece of string wrapped […]

2. July 20244. September 202515th century, 16th century, Diocesan Museum Brixen, Germany, Görlitzer Sammlungen, Kunsthistorisches Museum Magdeburg

The Life of Mary: It’s all in the details

This blog post is taking way longer to write than I intended. Sorry, I fell down a rabbit hole. And then another […]

Life of Mary - Detail of the Visitation, Chasuble cross Te 154, Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg.

24. June 20244. September 202515th century, Germany, Kunsthistorisches Museum Magdeburg

The Life of Mary in medieval Goldwork Embroidery

Last week, Sabine Ullrich, curator of the Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg, invited me to view a chasuble cross in storage. To my delight, Sabine came up […]

Your cart