Textile Fabrics / A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuffs, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the Museum

by Daniel Rock

1253.

Silk Damask; ground, fawn-colour; design, in light green, a sprinkling of fleur-de-lis amid griffins, in pairs, rampant, regardant. Sicilian, 14th century. 10 inches by 8 inches.

The pattern is not of that spirited character found on many of the earlier specimens of the Sicilian loom; the griffins, especially, are weakly drawn. The fleur-de-lis would signify that it was wrought for some French family or follower of the house of Anjou.