Part 12 (1/2)
The great period of English embroidery is supposed to have been from the twelfth to the thirteenth century. Very little remains to show this, except a few fragments of vestments from the tombs of the bishops dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and other data obtained from various foreign inventories of later date referring to the use of ”Opus Anglicanum.” Some portion of the Worcester fragments may be seen in the South Kensington Museum, and can only be described as being so perfect in workmans.h.i.+p, colour, and style as even at this day to be more like a magnificent piece of goldsmith's work than that of needlecraft. The background is apparently one ma.s.s of thread of fine gold worked in and out of a silken mesh, the embroidery appearing just as clear and neat in manipulation as an illumination. The coloured photographs, which may be seen in the same room, of the stole and maniple of St. Cuthbert are of precisely the same work. Judging from these, and the embroidered orphrey which the authorities bought from the Hockon Collection for 119 1s.
10d. and which is only 4 feet 8 inches long, there is no doubt that this was, _par excellence_, the finest period. The work can only be described as being like an old Italian painting on a golden ground. We see precisely such design and colouring in ancient paintings for altars as in the old Italian Triptychs. This style was carried out as literally as possible. Even the defects, if so they may be called, are there, and a slight topheaviness of the figures serves but to accentuate the likeness.
There is a legend that during the times of the Danish incursions St.
Benedict travelled backwards and forwards through France and Italy, and brought with him during his _seven_ journeys artificers in _gla.s.s_ and _stone_, besides costly books and copies of the Scriptures. The chief end and aim of monastic life, both of monk and nun, in those early days was to embroider, paint, and illuminate their sacred books, vestments, and edifices with what was to them a newly-inspired faith.
Dr. Rock, in his ”Church of Our Fathers,” says that from the twelfth century to the time of Henry VIII. that only the best materials that could be found in our country or that of other lands were employed, and that the art that was used on them was the best that could be learnt or given. The original fabrics often came from Byzantium or were of Saracenic origin.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FROM THE ”JESSE” COPE (_South Kensington Museum_).
English, early Fourteenth Century.]
The story of Pope Innocent III., who, seeing certain vestments and orphreys, and being informed that they were English, said, ”Surely England must be a garden of delight!” must be quoted to show how English work was appreciated in those early days.
The choicest example in this country of this glorious period of English embroidery is the famous Syon cope, which is supposed to rank as the most magnificent garment belonging to the Church. It may be regarded as a typical example of real English work, the ”Opus Anglicanum” or ”Anglic.u.m,” which, although used for other purposes, such as altar-cloths and altar-frontals, found apparently its fullest scope in these large semicircular mantles.
Amongst the many copes treasured at South Kensington there are none, amidst all their splendour, as fine as this, although the fragment of the ”Jesse” cope runs it very closely. There are many copes of this period in different parts of the Continent--the Daroca Cope at Madrid, one at Ascagni, another at Bologna, at St. Bertrand-de-Comminges, at ”St. John Lateran” at Rome, at Pienza and Toleda, and a fragment of one with the famous altar-frontal at Steeple Aston. These are all a.s.sumed to be of ”Opus Anglicanum,” and they may be described as being technically perfect, the st.i.tches being of fine small tambour st.i.tch, beautifully even, and the draperies exquisitely shaded.
The ill.u.s.tration showing the Syon Cope requires some little explanation.
It is wrought on linen, embroidered all over with gold and silver thread and coloured silk. It is 9 feet 7 inches long, 4 feet 8 inches wide.
The whole of the cope except the border is covered with interlacing quatrefoils outlined in gold. The ground of these quatrefoils is covered with red silk and the s.p.a.ces between them with green silk. Each quatrefoil is filled with scenes from the life of Christ, the Virgin, and figures of St. Michael and of the Apostles. On the green s.p.a.ces are worked figures of six-winged angels standing on whorls. The chief place on the quatrefoils is given to the crucifixion, where the body of the Saviour is worked in silver and cloth of gold. The Virgin, arrayed in green tunic and golden mantle, is on one side and St. John, in gold, on the other. Above the quatrefoil is another representing the Redeemer seated on a cus.h.i.+oned throne with the Virgin, and below another representing St. Michael overcoming Satan. Other quatrefoils show ”Christ appearing to St. Mary Magdalen,” ”The Burial of the Virgin,”
”The Coronation of the Virgin,” ”The Death of the Virgin with the Apostles surrounding her,” ”The Incredulity of St. Thomas,” ”St. Simon,”
”St. Bartholomew,” ”St. Peter,” ”St. Paul,” ”St. Thomas,” ”St. Andrew,”
and ”St. James.” Portions of four other Apostles may be seen, but at some period the cope has been cut down. In its original state the cope showed the twelve Apostles. The lower portion has been cut away and reshaped, and round this is an edging apparently made out of a stole and maniple which point to a later date, as they are worked chiefly in cross-st.i.tch. On the orphrey are emblazoned the arms of Warwick, Castile and Leon, Ferrars, Geneville Everard, the badge of the Knights Templars, Clifford, Spencer, Lindsay, Le Botelier, Sheldon, Monteney of Ess.e.x, Champernoun, Everard, Tyddeswall Grandeson, Fitz Alan, Hampden, Percy, Clanvowe, Ribbesford, ByG.o.d, Roger de Mortimer, Grove, B.
Ba.s.singburn, and many others not recognisable. These coats of arms, it is suggested, belonged to the n.o.ble dames who worked the border. The angels which fill the intervening s.p.a.ces are of the six-winged varieties, each standing on whorls or wheels.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ”SYON” COPE.
(_S.K.M. Collection._)]
The cope is worked in a fine tambour or chain st.i.tch princ.i.p.ally. All the faces, bodies, and draperies are composed of this. A specially noticeable point is that the faces are worked spirally, beginning in the centre of the cheek and being worked round and round, conforming with the muscles of the face. The garments are worked according to the hang of the drapery, very fine effects being obtained. After the work has been completed a hot iron something like a little iron rod with a bulbous end has been pressed into the cheeks, under the throat, and in different parts of the nude body. Occasionally, but seldom, the same device may be seen in the drapery. All the work is exquisitely fine and perfectly even. The groundwork of the quatrefoils is of gold-laid or ”couch” work, as is also that of the armorial bearings.
The name ”Syon” is somewhat misleading, as the Cope was not made here, but came into the hands of the Bridgettine nuns in 1414, when Henry V.
founded the convent of ”Syon” at Isleworth. Its origin and date will ever be a matter of conjecture, but Dr. Rock infers that Coventry may have been the place of its origin. Taking Coventry as a centre with a small radius, several of the great feudal houses the arms of which are on the border of the cope may be found, and Dr. Rock further supposes that Eleanor, widow of Edward the First, may have become a sister of the fraternity unknown, as her arms, Castile and Leon, are on it. ”The whole must have taken long in working, and the probability is that it was embroidered by nuns of some convent which stood on or near Coventry.”
However this may be, it is certain that this splendid piece of English work came into the hands, by some means, of the nuns of Syon, and after remaining with them at Isleworth till Elizabeth's time, it was carried by them through Flanders, France, and Portugal. They remained at the latter place till the same persecution which dispersed the famous Spanish Point lace over the length and breadth of the Continent, and about eighty years ago it was brought back to England, and was given by the remaining members of the Order to the Earl of Shrewsbury. After further vicissitudes of a varied character it was bought by the South Kensington Museum for 110, and now sheds the glory of its golden threads in a dark transept unnoticed except by the student.
III
ECCLESIASTICAL EMBROIDERIES AND VESTMENTS
[Ill.u.s.tration: HALF OF THE STEEPLE ASTON ALTAR FRONTAL.
English, Fourteenth Century.]
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