Studio: international art (19.1900)

The Ornamentation of Textiles

grotesque heads or mascarons. This
is probably Sicilian work of the
fourteenth or fifteenth century.

Fig. 8. The bands of which this
is a specimen, were intended to
serve as crosses on the chasubles,
as shoulder-knots for the copes, and
also to deck the upper and lower
extremities of the dalmatica and the
sleeves. The fragment now repro-
duced belonged to a dalmatica. It
is composed of linen and silk of
green foundation, and bears a
design, in gilt gold-beaters' skin and
white, representing the kneeling
Virgin adoring the infant Jesus,
while two angels bear on their heads
a double baldaquin. The upper
portion of the design contains the
legend Verbum euro factum est.
This is certainly Florentine work
of the fifteenth century. In many
Tuscan paintings of that date one
finds the same style of grouping,
even the same arrangement of
garments. Dr. ISock attributes it
to the School of Ghirlandajo.

Fig. 9. A band of pink silk.
The design, in green and gilt gold-
beaters' skin, represents Christ ap-
pearing to the kneeling Magdalen.
fig. 10.— Persian : silk xvi. century The Saviour holds a banner in one

hand, and with the other makes the
sign of benediction. The figures
style. Who shall decide? The period is almost are separated by a tree, and above is a starry sky.
indubitably thirteenth or fourteenth century. This composition recalls the German or Flemish

Fig. 6. A specimen of unbleached silk. The paintings of the fifteenth century, and it evidently
design, in gold, represents palm trees of various belongs to the same period.

sizes, with birds of paradise amid the branches. Fig. 10. This curious specimen of Persian work
This would appear to be Chinese, particularly from is of " Ottoman " style, in silk and gold, the ground
the manner in which the birds' tails are treated, being white, red and gold, and the design in alter-
and in the method of their flight. I toubtless this nated red and white. According to Geheimrath
is the composition of an Italian artist under the Lessing, conservator of the Berlin Gallery of
immediate influence of far Eastern models. Mme. Industrial Art, the white portions were formerly
Errera thinks this is fourteenth- or fifteenth- in gold. The subject of the design recalls the
century work, because at that period palm well-known Persian story of the Princess Leily and
trees in undulating lines often figured in textile the poet Maynun. M. Lessing assigns this work
designs. to the sixteenth century. Persian it certainly is.

Fig. 7. Here the design is in gilt gold-beaters' I might have multiplied examples of these works,
skin in high relief, the material being silk with for Madame Errera's collection contains a great
a warp of ecru thread. In concentric ovals are number of remarkable "documents." I was of
hippocamps, affrontes, slaking their thirst in opinion, however, that a few specimens, chosen
a pool. The ovals are indented, and their more or less at random, would suffice to give an
exterior portion is ornamented by foliage, and by idea of the special interest attaching to this textile

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