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

7039.

Silk Damask; ground, purple; pattern, lozenges, with so-called love-knots, one on each side, enclosing a flower and a lozenge chequered with Greek crosses alternately, all in yellow. Byzantine, 14th century. 8½ inches by 4 inches.

7039

SILK FABRIC,

Byzantine—— 14^th century.

Vincent Brooks Day & Son, Lith.

Though poor in material this silk is so far interesting as it gives a link in that long chain of traditional feeling for showing the cross about stuffs, meant, as most likely this was, for ritual uses, and known among both the Latins and the Greeks as “stauracina.” To this day the same custom is followed in the East of having the cross marked upon the textiles employed in liturgical garments.