Needlework As Art Part 36

[438] The "women who wove the hangings for the grove"

were probably priestesses of the worship of Astarte (2 Kings xxiii. 7).

[439] He says that within the sacred shrine was revealed their G.o.d--a beast rolling on a purple couch--veiled with gold embroidered hangings; and he describes the magnificent temples, gleaming with gold, silver, and electrum. Quoted from Clemens Alexandrinus, in Renouf's "Hibbert Lectures," p. 2.

[440] "Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail."--Ezekiel xxvii. 7. Egyptian sails were woven and painted; sometimes they were blazoned with embroidered patterns. The Phnix was set there to indicate the traveller's return. See Wilkinson's "Ancient Egyptians,"

vol. iii., ed. 1837, p. 211.

[441] See Semper, "Der Stil," vol. i. p. 273.

[442] The figure-painting of the nations we have spoken of, successful so far as it concerns its special purpose of exhibiting a clear and comprehensive chronicle of events, is at the same time no more, so far as it concerns its artistic effect, than a piece of tapestry or embroidery done into stone, and can only be estimated ... as a piece of coloured wall decoration. Woltmann and Woermann, "History of Painting," Eng. Trans., pp. 23-30.

See also Perrot and Chipiez, "Histoire de l'Art dans l'Antiquite," for tile decorations at Nimroud; vol. ii.

p. 704.

[443] Compare this record with Solomon's veil for the Temple, of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen (2 Chron. iii. 14), and the hangings designed by Bezaleel, of scarlet, blue, purple, and embroidered with gold (Exod. x.x.xix. 2, 3, 5; see also Josephus, "Wars of the Jews," Whiston's trans., p. 895).

[444] As cited from Abulfeda by Gibbon, chap. lii. ix.

p. 37, ed. 1797. When one is moved to pity, thinking of the enforced labour of thousands of captive women, fallen, perhaps, from high estate, and only valued for the toil of their hands, it comforts one to believe that they would hardly have produced beautiful works without enjoying some happiness in the creation of that beauty.

[445] Yule's "Marco Polo," vol. i. p. 394, note 7.

[446] See Semper, "Der Stil," i. pp. 310, 311; Chares, ap. Athen. xii. 54, p. 538.

[447] Semper's "Der Stil," i. p. 311; Athen. v. 25, p.

196.

[448] Phylarchus, ap. Athen. xii. 55, describes a Persian tent in which were golden palm-trees, and vines fruited with precious stones, under which the Persian kings held their state. On an a.s.syrian sculpture at the British Museum is seen a.s.surbanipal on a couch, the queen opposite to him, under an arbour of jewelled vines; unless it represents a rural entertainment, which is unlikely.

[449] The art of the "tapezziere," "tap.i.s.sier,"

"tapestry-hanger," is not a recognized one with us, though it is in Italy and France, where the hangings for special occasions in churches and houses are stored away, treasured for hundreds of years, cleaned and mended, and hung and placed to the best advantage by men educated for the purpose. In poor churches which possess no fine materials for decoration, one has often wondered at and admired the picturesque effects extracted from yards of muslin, gold tinsel, and box wreaths, artistically combined. Our house carpenter is the only representative we have of the vestiarius, and he is but a feeble descendant from the ancestors of his craft, who were expected to study and evolve the adornments of the building for its completion, the materials of decoration for special occasions, and lastly, the mechanical means for hanging and stretching the draperies. These were sometimes movable frames or posts--"scabella" (whence "escabeau," echafaudage, scaffolding).

[450] Semper, "Der Stil," i. pp. 314, 315.

[451] Never again will such great works be executed with the needle. In civilized countries, sovereign splendours are at a discount. The East occasionally produces something fine, because there they still have harems and slaves; but even these ancient inst.i.tutions are losing their stability and in the interest of humanity, if not in that of needlework, we may soon hope there will be neither the one nor the other. We must allow, however, that the purple and gold embroideries now being executed for the King of Bavaria in his school at Munich are royally splendid, and, by their execution, worthy of past days.

[452] Pliny, viii. 44, 196.

[453] Gibbon's "Roman History," ix. c. 51, p. 370, ed.

1797; also see Crichton's "History of Arabia," i. p.

383.

[454] The utter dispersal of acc.u.mulated family and household treasures has had a sad ill.u.s.tration in the loads of Turkish and Slav embroideries which have flooded the markets of Europe since the Russo-Turkish war. Work, treasured for generations, sold for a piece of bread, robbed from the deserted home or the bazaar, stolen from the dying or the dead. These are so suggestive of the horrors of war, and touch us so nearly in connection with the rights and wrongs of the Eastern question, that they cause us more pain than pleasure when we study these beautiful specimens of well-blended colours and designs, that show their Aryan (Persian or Indian) origin. Lady Layard's residence in Constantinople was, perhaps, the "happy accident" which will have preserved the secrets and practice of this work for future generations, by her active and generous inst.i.tution of a working organization for the poor exiled and starving women, and for the sale of their work in England.

[455] Semper, "Der Stil," i. p. 30, -- 10.

[456] This subject has been ably treated in the Introduction to "La Tap.i.s.serie," by Eug. Muntz; Paris, 1885.

[457] I refer to the chapter on "English Embroideries"

for the _pa.r.s.eme_ patterns of our mediaeval hangings, and to the section on tapestry in the chapter on "St.i.tches."

[458] "Renaissance in Italy," J. A. Symonds, p. 4.

[459] But to this rule there are notable exceptions, of which Charles the Bold's hangings for his tent (now at Berne) furnish a brilliant example. Here the Order of the Golden Fleece is repeated on a field of flowers, exquisitely designed.

[460] "Life of Jeanne d'Albret," by Miss Freer, pp. 68, 123, 330.

CHAPTER VIII.

FURNITURE.

"Jane, I hate aesthetic carpets; High-art curtains make me swear.

Pray cease hunting for the latest Queen Anne chair.

I care nothing for improvements, On the simple style of Snell, Which will suit both you and me ex- tremely well."

ROBERT CUST, "Parody of the Last Ode of the First Book of Horace."

"First, as you know, my house within the city Is richly furnish'd with plate and gold; Basons and ewers, to lave her dainty hands; My hangings all of Tyrian tapestry; In ivory coffers I have stuff'd my crowns; In cyprus chests my arras, counterpoints, Fine linen, Turkey cushions boss'd with pearl, Costly apparel, tents and canopies, Valance of Venice gold, in needlework; Pewter and bra.s.s, and all things that belong To house, or housekeeping."

SHAKESPEARE, "Taming of the Shrew," Act II., Scene I.

The last chapter on hangings, their history and uses, and the preceding account of tapestries, naturally lead to the consideration of the furniture which may accompany them.

Homer's description of Penelope's bridal couch is very curious. The central idea is the bedpost, fashioned out of the stem of an olive-tree growing in the court, and inlaid by Ulysses himself with gold, silver, and ivory, and bands of dyed purple ox-hide. The stone walls and roof were built over to cover it in, as it stood yet rooted in the ground.[461]

The ill.u.s.tration is a very quaint delineation of a Chaldean four-roomed house, where the rooted tree with its stem and branches is suggestive of the state of the domestic art of the architect and the upholsterer in those Archaic days.[462]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 24.

a.s.syrian delineation of Chaldean House.]

Furniture has been the excuse and the vehicle for embroideries, from the footstool and the cushion to the window curtain and the bed-hangings.[463]

Such curtains are the most permanently important features in the economy, or rather the luxury of the house. Let us begin with the decorations of the state bedroom.

Now the shape of the bed must regulate the design. If there is only a canopy--like that over a throne--one may have fine work for the head of the bed inside the canopy, and a rich border round its valance; this should contrast with the walls; and the curtains should marry the two together, by the embroidered borders belonging to the fashion of the bed, and accompanying the window curtains; while the plain surface should match with the wall hangings. Another method is to have the bed and curtains hung with plain materials, to contrast with embroidered or tapestried hangings on the walls.

This style of bed canopy absolutely belongs to the decoration of the wall to which it is attached. But when we have to deal with a large four-post bed--"a room within a room," as poor Prince Lee Boo said--the bed may, in its own decoration, be totally independent of the wall hangings; and care must be taken that we do not injure the effect of both by too much contrast or too much similarity. Every room has its own individuality, and the first beginning of its decoration must be the key-note to guide the rest of the furnishing and adornment. I am anxious to point out that the bed and its belongings are a most important element in the beauty and dignity of style of the room and the house that contains it. It is a splendid opportunity for displaying the embroideries of the women of the family, and for exercising their taste. "The chamber of Dais," as it was called in old times, was always carefully adorned for the welcome of the honoured guest. The bed-hangings, and even the linen, were embroidered,[464]

and the greatest care and the most artistic work were lavished on the coverlet in firm st.i.tches and twisted threads, while on the curtains the frailest materials and most delicate st.i.tches were freely bestowed, as they were safe from friction. We may employ floss-silk and satin-st.i.tch for such works with safety.

As a rule we should avoid too great a variety of design in the decoration of a bedroom, and at the same time beware of its becoming monotonous.

I should say that a change in the design, though not in the style, of the different parts of the bed is admissible, and gives opportunities for rich and graceful work. For instance, a pa.r.s.eme pattern may be varied judiciously on the curtains, the valance, and the heading; provided there is a connecting link (say a cypher) found throughout.

If the back of the Baldachino is embroidered, it admits of totally different treatment, and the valance must include a border according to its outline.

The ingenuity and magnificence of the Elizabethan bedroom furnishings are proved by the inventories to be found in old houses. Those describing the property of the Earl of Leicester, in the Library at Longleat, are so characteristic of a time when each room contained artistic furniture, that I cannot help making here some extracts, and pointing out that embroidery was usually employed to individualize each decoration.

"At Killingworth (Kenilworth) Lord Leicester's Bedsteads." "A fayre, rich, standing Square Bedstead of carved walnut-tree wood: painted with silver hearts, ragged staves and roses. The furniture and teste crimson velvet embroidered with silver roses, and lined throughout with Buckram." There was apparently a second set of curtains inside of striped white satin, trimmed and fringed with silver, and the velvet curtains were also fringed with silver with long "b.u.t.tons and loops."