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

1271.

Silk and Gold Damask; ground, light green silk; design, griffins passant and fleur-de-lis in one row, fleur-de-lis and slipped vine-leaves arising from two tendrils formed like the letter C, and put back to back, all in gold. Sicilian, 14th century. 12 inches by 7½ inches.

The whole of this pattern is thrown off with great freedom, and an heraldic eye will see the boldness of the griffins. The vine-leaves are as crispy as any ever seen upon such stuffs, and the whole does credit to the royal looms of Palermo, where it was probably wrought at the command of the prince, for himself, or as a gift to some French royalty. An exactly similar stuff to this may be found at No. 7061; and it is said that the robes now shown at Neuburg, near Vienna, are traditionally believed to have been worn, at his marriage, by Leopold the Holy.