Needlework As Art Part 22

[201] Pope Eutichinus, in the third century, buried many martyrs in golden robes.

[202] "Liber Pontificalis," t. ii. p. 332.

[203] See Rock, pp. xxvii, x.x.xv; and Parker's "Use of the Levitical Colours," p. 49.

[204] See Yates, p. 376.

[205] Rock, p. x.x.xv. The toga picta, or trabea, part of the official dress of her sons.

[206] Hoveden's "Annal." p. 481, Ed. Savile; Rock, p.

x.x.x.

[207] See "Archaeologia," 1880, pp. 317, 322; also Pl.

74, No. 20 (_post_).

[208] Bock, "L. Gewander," taf. ix. vol. i.

[209] Rock, p. x.x.xvii.

[210] Ciclatoun, according to Rock, p. x.x.xix, is a common Persian name for such tissues in the East. This, in common with nasick, nak, and many other beautiful tissues, was wrought in gold with figures of birds and beasts.--Yule's "Marco Polo," ed. 1875, i. p. 65.

Dr. Rock quotes the old ballad,--

"In a robe right royall bowne, Of a red ciclatoune, Be her fader's syde; A coronall on her hede sett, Her clothes with byrdes of gold were bette All about for pryde."

[211] In St. Paul's in London there was formerly an amice adorned with the figures of two bishops and a king, hammered out of silver, and gilt. Dugdale, ed.

1818, p. 318. See also Rock, pp. xxix-x.x.xii.

[212] Museum at Berne.

[213] A piece of Venetian work to be seen at the South Kensington Museum is an altar frontal, worked in coral, gold beads, seed pearls, and spangles. All jewellers'

work, including enamel, was much admired and introduced into their embroideries. (See Rock's Introduction to Catalogue of the Kensington Museum, pp. civ-cviii, ed.

1870.)

[214] On this gorgeous piece of Italian art there are added a number of b.u.t.tons (for we can give them no other name), with crosses and hearts under crystal, which seem to have belonged to another period and workmanship, or else are to be attributed to a superst.i.tious feeling on the part of the maker, who placed these Christian signs, perhaps, surrept.i.tiously, and for the good of his own soul.

[215] The Museum of National Art at Munich has a fine collection of gold and silver, spangled, and black bead head-dresses, now mostly antiquated, though in peasant dress it yet survives.

[216] It is embroidered in gold, with red silk and gems; and I have elsewhere said that it probably issued from the Hotel de Tiraz at Messina.

[217] Terry, in his "Voyage to the East Indies," speaks of the rich carpets (p. 128): "The ground of some of these is silver or gold, about which such arabesques in flowers and figures as I have before named are most excellently disposed."

[218] These of late years have been the most gorgeous objects at exhibitions of old needlework, and the ambition and despair of collectors.

[219] Gold thread was also made of gilt paper, equally by the Moors and the j.a.panese.

[220] In Aikin's "Life of James I.," p. 205, we have a curious account of the monopoly of gold thread, that had been granted, with others, to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. The thread was so scandalously debased with copper as to corrode the hands of the artificers, and even the flesh of those who wore it. This adulterated article they sold at an exorbitant price, and if they detected any one making a cheaper or better article, they were empowered to fine or imprison them, while a clause in their patent protected themselves. The manufacturers of this base metal thread were two Frenchmen, Mompesson and Michel, and Edward Villiers, the Marquis' brother, was one of the firm. Doubtless they drove for a time a roaring trade, as gold embroideries were then universally worn, both by men and women; but the House of Commons interfered, and the monopoly was abolished.

[221] Mitre of white satin, with two figure subjects in flat gold--the martyrdom of St. Stephen, and that of St.

Thomas of Canterbury.

[222] The School of Gold Embroidery at Munich produces work of a richness and precision which has, perhaps, never been excelled. The raised parts of the design are first cast in soft hollow "carton," and the gold is worked on it and into the recesses with the help of a fine stiletto, which pioneers the needle for each st.i.tch. This is embroidery "on the stamp," but without padding.

[223] Bock, "L. Gewander," vol. i. p. 48. Prizes are offered at Lyons for the best mode of manufacturing gold and silver thread that will not tarnish.

[224] Yates says, pp. 160-162: "Whether silk was mentioned in the Old Testament cannot, perhaps, be determined. After fully considering the subject, Braunius decides against silk being known to the Hebrews in ancient times ('De Vest.i.tu Heb. Sacerdotum,' i. c.

viii.)." The contrary opinion is founded on the pa.s.sage, "I clothed thee with broidered work, and shod thee with badger-skins. I girded thee about with fine linen, and covered thee with silk" (_meshi_).--Ezekiel xvi. But the translation is disputed.

[225] "Code of Manu," xi. 168; xii. 64. Yates, "Textrinum Antiquorum," p. 204.

[226] Auberville, "Ornement des Tissus," p. ii.

[227] Yates (pp. 173, 174) believes that "Cos" should always be read for Cios, about which there seems to be some confusion. Chios has also been subst.i.tuted for the name of "Cos," the island.

There is no doubt that the Roman ladies obtained their most splendid garments from Cos--perhaps of wool as well as of silk.

[228] Birdwood, "Textile Arts of India," ii. p. 269.

[229] Yates, "Textrinum Antiquorum," p. 204.

[230] Yates, "Textrinum Antiquorum," note (*), p. 184.

Aristotle (fourth century B.C.), however, had already given evidence respecting the use of silk, which was adopted and repeated by Pliny, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Basil. Aristotle tells the story of Pamphile. One thousand years later Procopius (sixth century A.D.) says the raw material was then brought from the East, and woven in the Phnician cities of Tyre and Berytus.

See Yates, pp. 163, 164.

[231] Ibid., note (*), p. 184.

[232] Yates, "Textrinum Antiquorum," p. 181.

[233] I have mentioned this already, to prove the antiquity of the art of embroidery. Here I repeat it in reference to the first mention of silk. (See p. 38 _ante_.)

[234] "Bibliotheque Orientale de M. Herbelot," ed. 1778, vol. iii. p. 19.

[235] Auberville, p. 2; Yates (pp. 172, 173) calls her Si-ling, wife of Hoang-ti, and quotes the "Resume des Princ.i.p.aux Tractes Chinois," traduits par Stanislas Julien, 1837, pp. 67, 68.

[236] Auberville, "Histoire des Tissus," pp. 2-4; "Du Halde," vol. ii. pp. 355, 356 (8vo edition, London, 1736).

[237] Related by Klaproth, the Russian Orientalist.

[238] Yates, p. 238. "History of Khotan," translated by M. Abel Remusat, pp. 55, 56.

[239] Khotan or Little Bucharia would, in common parlance, be included in Serica; and therefore silk exported thence to Europe would have been perfectly described as coming from the Seres. Yates, p. 231, 232.

[240] Yates, p. 231.

[241] While in Europe the arts of daily use and decoration were struggling for life after many interruptions and revolutions, the civilization of j.a.pan, which is nearly contemporary with Christianity, spent itself in perfecting to the most exquisite finish the arts which had been imported from China and Corea.

j.a.pan also inherited the power and the tradition of concealment, and so Europe remained unconscious, until the last century, of the miraculous arts which a semi-barbarous people were cultivating--_not_ for commercial purposes. Auberville, "Tissus," pp. 2-4.

[242] Yates, pp. 175-184.