8237.

Portion of Silk Border, crimson wrought in gold, with circles containing grotesque animals. Italian (?), middle of the 13th century. 1 foot 5½ inches by 3½ inches.

This well filled piece contains birds and beasts, among the latter two dogs addorsed, embroidered with circles, upon plain red silk. By the ornamentation, the embroidery must be about the middle of the 13th century, and is of that general character which hinders national identification, though there can be no doubt it must have been wrought by some hand in Western Europe.