8580.
Portion of Gold Embroidery; ground, dark blue silk; pattern, large griffins in gold. Early 13th century. 1 foot 4½ inches by 12½ inches.
Pity it is that we have such a small part, and that so mutilated, of what must have been such a fine specimen of the needle. Though the whole pattern may not be made out, enough remains to show that the griffins, which were langued gules, stood in pairs and rampant, both figured with two-forked tails ending in trefoils, all worked in rich gold thread.
8581.
Portion of an Orphrey; ground, crimson silk; pattern, stars of eight points, within squares, both embroidered in gold. 14th century. 5½ inches by 2 inches.
This is one of the very few specimens which have pure gold, or perhaps only silver-gilt wire, without any admixture of thread in it, employed in the stars and narrow oblong ornaments in the embroidery, the wire itself being stitched to its grounding by thin linen thread. The large and small squares, as well as the borders, are executed in gold-twisted thread, very poor of its kind. The glittering effect of the pure metal-wire is very telling.
8582.