This has happened to me more than once; and since I read my lectures I have had to change my opinions in several instances. If, therefore, any of my readers should observe such changes, I hope they will give me credit for trying to convey now what appears to me on each subject a correct impression.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Besides the art, I have sought to give something of the archæology of needlework. Now the qualifications for being a teacher on such subjects are rarely to be met with, all combined. Mr. Newton, in his “Essays on Art and Archæology,” p. 37, says that “the archæologist should combine with the æsthetic culture of the artist, and the trained judgment of the historian and the philologist, that critical acumen, required for classification and interpretation; nor should that habitual suspicion which must ever attend the scrutiny and precede the warranty of evidence, give too sceptical a bias to his mind.” Such authorities have been interrogated on each part of my subject.
[2] Quoted by permission of the Editor.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | ||
| INTRODUCTION. | [1] | |
| CHAPTER I.—STYLE. | ||
| Definition of style—Development of style—Primitive—Archaic—Egyptian—Babylonian—Phœnicianinfluences on early Greek style—Decoration of hangings of the Tabernaclein the wilderness—Aryan ideas—The Code of Manu—Indianart—Celtic style—Greek art in dress and embroideries—Homer’sdescriptions of embroideries—Pallas Athene—Shield ofAchilles—Roman art—Byzantine art—Art of Central Asia—Itsarrival in Europe—Art of China, Japan, and Java—Christianart—Scandinavian art—The Dark Ages—Sicilian textileart—Renaissance—Arabesque—Grotesque—SpanishPlâteresque—Style of Queen Anne and the Chippendales—LouisXV. style—Classical revival—Young England’s style—Nineteenthcentury style | [14] | |
| CHAPTER II.—DESIGN. | ||
| Artist and artisan—Prehistoric design—Naturalisticdesign—Egyptian immutability—Slow evolution of design—Greekperfection—Necessity of following rules—M. Blanc’s laws ofornamentation—Laws of composition—Repetition—Alternation—Symmetry—Progression—Confusion—Designsfor hangings and dress materials—Floral design—Design forcarpets—The conventional—First principles | [54] | |
| CHAPTER III.—PATTERNS. | ||
| Ancestry of patterns—Classification—Their historicalvalue—Primitive patterns—The wave—Tartan—Prehistoric Africanpatterns—The naturalistic—Flowers—Shells—Indian formsof naturalistic patterns—Egyptian—The lotus—Sunflower—CelticZoomorphic patterns—The human figure on Greektextiles—Animal forms in Oriental patterns—Symbolical andconventional patterns—The wave patterns—The palm leaf—Thecone—Gothic—Arab—Moresque—The Sacred Hom—Eggand tongue—The cross—Swastika—Fylfote—Gammadion—Thecrenelated pattern—The Ninevite daisy—Emblematicpatterns—Bestiaria—Volucraria—Lapidaria—Byzantinepatterns—Gothic—Renaissance—The cloud pattern—Thefundata—Italian—French patterns—Radiated patterns—Theshell—Patterns by repetition—Balcony pattern—Chinesewicker-work—Survival of a pattern—Opus Alexandrinum—Quiltingpatterns | [82] | |
| CHAPTER IV.—MATERIALS. | ||
| Raw materials—Revelations of the microscope—Hemp—Jute—Hondurasgrass—Spartum—Pinna silk—Hair—Leather—Feathers—Asbestos—Coral—Pearls—Beads—Wool—Classicalnotices of wool—Careful improvement of wool by theancients—Tanaquil—Homeric woollen carpets—Crimson textilefragments—Scandinavian woollen garments—Qualities ofwool—English wool—Goats’ hair—Flax—Lake cities—Byssus—Finelinen of Egypt—The Atrebates—Embroidery on linen—Cotton—Indianorigin—Carbasa—Buckram—Cotton fabrics—Gold—Silver—Goldbrocades—Jewish—Indian—Chinese—Dressof Darius—Attalus—Attalic textiles—Agrippina’s goldengarments—St. Cecilia’s mantle—Roman tombs—Gold wire—Anglo-Saxontomb—Childeric’s tomb—Proba’s gold thread—Goldenwrappings from tombs of Henry I. and Henry III.—Goldembroideries and jewellers’ work of Middle Ages—Spangles—Enamels—Purl—Modernschools of goldembroidery—Silk—Pamphile of Cos—Early specimens of silkstuffs—Chinese silks—The Seres—Mela—Seneca—M. Terrien dela Couperie—Empress Si-ling-chi—Princess of Khotan—Euripides—Lucan—Pliny—Silkin Rome—Ælius Lampridius—FlaviusVopiscus—Tailor’s bill—Justinian’s codex—Imperialmonopoly—Paul the Silentiary—Bede—King John’s apparition—Greekand Sicilian manufactories of silk—Distinctivemarks of different periods—Lyons—Spain—Italy—Flemishtowns—Marco Polo—Satin—Welsh poem, “Lady of theFountain”—Chaucer—Velvet—Transference of work to newmaterials | [118] | |
| CHAPTER V.—COLOUR. | ||
| Harmony and dissonance—Names of tints—Authorities fortheories—Art of colouring—Expression of colouring—Purple—Red—Crimson—Blue—Yellow—Pliny—Renouf—Chinesecolours—Indian dyes—Persian colours—Dyes of theGauls—Romans—Scotch—Scalesof colour—MM. Charton and Chevreul ontones of colour—Gas colours | [175] | |
| CHAPTER VI.—STITCHES. | ||
| Stitches—Part I.: The needle—Gammer Gurton’s needle—Artof needlework—Lists of stitches—Part II.: Plain work—Theseam—Mrs. Floyer—White embroidery—Nuns’ work—Greek—German—Spanish—Italian white work—Semper’s rules forwhite work—Part III.: Opus Phrygium—Gold embroideries—PartIV.: Opus pulvinarium—Cushion stitches—Mosaicstitches—Traditional decorations from Chaldea andAssyria—German and Italian pattern-books—Part V.: Opusplumarium—The Plumarii—Feather-work of India—Islands of thePacific—African work—Mexican and Peruvian—Clunytriptych—Mitre of St. Charles Borromeo—Essay by Denis—Chineseand Japanese feather-stitches—Part VI.: Opus consutumor cut work—Patchwork—Egyptian and Greek examples—Irishcut work—Chaucer—Francis I.’s hangings at Cluny—LordBeauchamp’s curtains—Spanish examples—Remarks—Artof application—Part VII.: Lace—Opus filatorium—Mrs.Palliser—M. Blanc—Guipure—Sir Gardiner Wilkinson—Nettedlace—Homer—Solomon’s Temple—Bobbin laces—Yak—Colouredlaces—Venetian sumptuary laws—Goldenlaces—Point d’Alençon—Mr. A. Cole’s lectures—M. Urbanide Gheltof on Venice laces—Lace stitches—Revival of laceschool at Burano—English laces—Part VIII.: Tapestry—Opuspectineum—Modes of weaving tapestry—Its great antiquity—Egyptianlooms—Albert Castel on tapestries—Homeric picture-weaving—Arachne—Aparaphrase by Lord Houghton—Nomenticum—SidoniusApollinaris—Saracenic weaving—Arras—Brussels—Italiantapestries from Florence, Milan, andMantua—French tapestries—Cluny Museum collection—Gobelins—Beauvais—Englishtapestry—Comnenus—MatthewParis—Early trade with Arras—Coventry tapestries—Chaucer—Tapestry“of verd”—Hatfield tapestries—Armada tapestries—SirF. Crane—Mortlake manufactory—Francis Cleyne—Raphaelcartoons—Percy tapestry from Lambeth | [194] | |
| CHAPTER VII.—HANGINGS. | ||
| Classical hangings—Babylonian and Persian—Semper’s theory—Sanctuaryin the wilderness—St. Peter’s at Rome—Abulfeda—Akbar’stent—Nadir Shah’s tent—Tent of Khan of Persia—Tentsof Alexander the Great at Alexandria—Roman hangings—Funeralpyres—Kosroes’ tent—Semper’s rules for hangingdecorations—Ancient carpets—English and French hangings—Rulesfor designs of hangings | [260] | |
| CHAPTER VIII.—FURNITURE. | ||
| Penelope’s couch—Chaldean furnished house—The bed—Earl ofLeicester’s inventories—State apartment of Alessandri Palace—Indianembroideries for furniture—The sofa and chair—Thefootstool—Furniture stitches—The table cover—The screen—Bookcovers—Morris on furniture | [280] | |
| CHAPTER IX.—DRESS. | ||
| Art of dress—Ancient splendour—Persian, Greek, andRoman—Indian—Homeric—Early Christian—Charlemagne’s mantleand robe—Objects of dress—Embroidered garments | [294] | |
| CHAPTER X.—ECCLESIASTICAL EMBROIDERY. | ||
| Christian art—Dark ages—Greek and Roman ecclesiastical dress—Northerninfluence—Continuity of ecclesiastical art—Authorities—Anglo-Saxonorthodox colours—Veils of the Temple—Hangings in Pagan temples andChristian churches—Russian use of veils—Art in the early Church—Rareexamples—Destruction by the iconoclasts—Early embroiderers—EmpressHelena—Bertha, mother of Charlemagne—Hisdalmatic—Pluvial of St. Silvester—Pluvial of museum atBologna—Daroca cope—Cope of Boniface VIII.—Style ofthe twelfth century—Mantle of St. Stephen of Hungary—Kunigunda’swork for Henry II.—The Romanesque—Movementperfecting Gothic art, thirteenth century—OpusAnglicanum—Syon cope—Embroidery on the stamp—Picturesin flat stitches—Flemish work—Renaissance—Work of someroyal ladies—French—Spanish—Sicilian and Neapolitan—Germanwork—Sacred symbolism—Melito’s “The Key”—Mysticalcolours—Prehistoric cross—Many forms of thecross—The roës—The chrysoclavus—Modern decoration—Principlesand motives for church embroideries—The altar-cloth—Thereredos—The pulpit and reading-desk—Theancient Paschal—The banner of St. Cuthbert—The fringe—Layheraldry of the Church—South Kensington Museum | [303] | |
| CHAPTER XI.—ENGLISH EMBROIDERY. | ||
| First glimpse of art in England—Dyeing and weaving in Britain inearly times—Cæsar’s invasion—Roman civilization—Anglo-Saxontimes and art—Adhelme’s poem—Icelandic Sagas—Sagaor story of Thorgunna—English work in the eighthcentury—The Benedictines—Durham embroideries—Aelfled—St.Dunstan—Queen Emma’s work—William of Poitou—TheBayeux tapestry—Abbess of Markgate—Gifts to PopeAdrian IV.—Robes of Thomas à Becket at Sens—InnocentIII.—English pre-eminence in needlework from the Conquestto the Reformation—John Garland on hand-looms—Blode-bendesand lacs d’amour—Opus Anglicanum—Englishpeculiarities in ecclesiastical design—Penalties against luxuryin dress—Protection the bane of art—Dunstable pall—Stoneyhurstcope—Destruction of fine works at the Reformation—Muchon the Continent, much collected in our oldCatholic houses—Field of the Cloth of Gold—Mary Tudor’sSpanish stitches—Queen Elizabeth’s embroideries—Institutionof Embroiderers’ Company—East India Company—Orientaltaste discouraged on Protectionist grounds—Decay of the artin England—Style of James I.—Dutch style—Cushion stitches—MissLinwood—Miss Moritt—Mrs. Delany—Mrs. Pawsey—Postscript—Revivalof the art of needlework—“Royal Schoolof Art Needlework” | [356] | |
| Appendix | ||
| I. | Charles T. Newton on Votive Dresses | [400] |
| II. | The Moritzburg Feather Hangings | [401] |
| III. | The Story of Arachne, translated by Earl Cowper | [402] |
| IV. | Charlemagne’s Dalmatic, by Lord Lindsay | [405] |
| V. | Notices of various Mediæval Embroideries by the Hon. and Rev. W. Ignatius Clifford | [407] |
| VI. | Syon Cope, Rock’s Introduction, “Textile Fabrics” | [408] |
| VII. | Assyrian Fringes | [412] |
| VIII. | Hrothgar’s House Furniture: Poem of Beowulf | [412] |
| IX. | Thorgunna, by Sir G. Dasent | [413] |
| X. | Pedigree of Aelswith | [414] |
| XI. | Statutes at Large | [414] |