Embroidery

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Ecclesiastical embroidery

That inChristian worship embroidery was used from early times to ornamentvestments, is confirmed by numerous notices, especially the statements of the"Liber Pontificalis". For the period before the tenth century no account, even partially satisfactory, has come down to us, either of the methods of producing the embroidery or of the manner and extent of its use. What is incidentally said is not sufficient to make the matter clear, and no embroidery of this period forecclesiastical purposes has been preserved. The oldest extant examples are the remains of amaniple and of a stoledating from the beginning of the tenth century, in the museum ofDurhamcathedral, and fragments of an altar-cover of the same century in the National Museum atRavenna. Vestments magnificently embroidered appeared at the beginning of the eleventh century, such as thechasuble completely covered with pictures embroidered in pure gold, which is preserved in the Bambergcathedral; thecoronation mantle ofHungary, originally also achasuble; and other specimens of the highest importance not only on account of their costly material and the skill shown in their execution, but even more on account of the deep significance of the pictures. Up to the thirteenth century embroidery in gold thread was the ornamentation mainly used forecclesiastical purposes. To a certain degree gold embroidery was intended to take the place of figured materials woven with gold thread. Consequently, this embroidery so closely resembles fabrics woven with gold that on superficial examination it could easily be taken for such. At the same time, however, embroidery with silk thread was also practised, as is shown by the splendid copes preserved at St. Paul in Corinthia.

Ecclesiastical embroidery reached its fullest development in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and the first half of the fifteenth centuries. In this period whatever bore the name of vestment, wherever means allowed, was more or less richly embroidered. The working materials were gold, silver, and silk threads, small disks and spangles cut with a stamp from silver, plain or gilded, spangles and small disks of enamel, real pearls, precious stones, paste diamonds, and coral. The embroidery of figures was the branch of the art most pursued, purely ornamental embroidery being regarded as of subordinate importance. The copes andchasubles covered with pictorial embroidery of a deeplyreligiouscharacter, theaurifrisia (bands) magnificently ornamented with embroidered figures, that were laid on theliturgical clothing and other vestments, the covers and wall-hangings embroidered in striking pictorial designs, thestoles covered with wonderful needlework, all these examples of the art of the needle of that era, still found in large numbers in the church treasures and museums, show thatecclesiastical embroidery then reached a height never since regained. In the eleventh and twelfth centuriesSicily was famous for itsecclesiastical embroidery; in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the workshops ofEngland were more noted than all others. In this latter period mention ofEnglish embroidery, calledopus anglicanum, is found in almost all inventories of the more important churches of the Continent, even inItaly. The vestment most frequently sent fromEngland into other parts of WesternEurope was a cope completely covered with a rich embroidery of figures on a background of vine arabesques or elaborate architecture, the background being worked in gold thread; examples of these copes are still preserved at St. John Lateran atRome, at Pienza,Vich, and Daroca inSpain,Salzburg, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges inFrance, and elsewhere. A large amount of superbecclesiastical needlework, splendid specimens of which still exist, was also produced inGermany,France, andItaly; in the last-named country the work of Florence,Siena,Lucca, andVenice was especially noted. In the fifteenth century the finestecclesiastical embroidery was done inFlanders, where the work most largely produced was of that kind in which couched gold thread was worked over with coloured silks. The best examples of this are the mass-vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece preserved in the Hofburg atVienna. With the close of theMiddle Agesecclesiastical embroidery began to decline. Instead of the flat stitch, use was now made of the more striking raised embroidery, which frequently degenerated into a purely formal high relief totally unsuited in character toecclesiastical embroidery. There was a continually growing tendency to aim at brilliant effects and a stately magnificence. At the same time pictorial needlework was less and less in use, owing to the influence of secular embroidery. Needlework for church vestments was limited more and more to purely ornamental designs, taken chiefly from the plant world, and to certain symbolic designs. The art sank to its lowest depths both in design and technic at the commencement of the nineteenth century, during the so-calledBiedermaier (honest citizen) period.

Ecclesiastical embroidery flourished in the various provinces of theByzantine Empire. While the costly needlework produced there was naturally used mainly in the services of theGreek Church, still many pieces were brought into WesternEurope. This Byzantine needlework did not fail to influence Westernecclesiastical embroidery. One of the finest examples of art needlework of theByzantine Empire of theMiddle Ages is the imperialdalmatic in the treasury of St. Peter's atRome,erroneously attributed to the eleventh century; it is, in reality, a Greeksaccòs (vestment of a Greekbishop or patriarch) worked, probably, in the latter half of the fourteenth century.

At no period hasecclesiastical differed in its technic from secular embroidery. The same varieties of stitches and other art resources have been employed in both cases. No special ordinances have ever been issued by theChurch in regard to embroidery for vestments, either as to material, colour, use, or design. Good taste, however, requires that the embroidery should harmonize with the character and colour-effect of the vestment, and that is should not be too heavy, too crowded, or too stiff.

Embroidery in Scripture

It is probable that theIsraelites learned the art of embroidery during their sojourn inEgypt. The ornamentation of woven fabrics, especially of linen, by needlework in threads of different colours, spun or drawn from various materials, such as wool, flax, or gold, was known to ancient nations. The Greek and Romans acquired the art from the East. The monuments ofAssyria and Babylon represent the garments of kings and officials as highly ornamented with what are commonly regarded as embroideries, and specimens of embroidered work have been found inEgyptiantombs. InEzekiel 27:7, mention is made of the "fine broidered linen" used for sails on the ship ofTyre. The first reference to embroidery in Scripture is found in theBook of Exodus (26:1, 31, 36) in the directions given to Moses concerning the curtains of the Tabernacle, the veil for the Ark, and the hanging in the entrance to the Holy of Holies. TheDouay, following theVulgate, does not distinguish between the two Hebrew expressions inExodus 26:1, 31 andExodus 26:36. The former is translated in the Revised Version by "the work of a cunning workman" and seems to refer to the weaving of figured designs from different coloured threads; the latter may have been real embroidery, or needlework.

Besides the hanging at the entrance of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:36), the hanging in the entrance of the court (Exodus 26:16) and the girdle of thehigh-priest (Exodus 28:39;39:28) were the work of the "embroiderer", whereas in regard to theephod (Exodus 28:6;39:3) and the rational (Exodus 28:15;39:8) another word is employed.Beseleel and Ooliab were endowed with skill in both kinds of work (Exodus 35:35;38:22,23). The word is used of the embroidered garments or scarfs mentioned in the Canticle of Debbora (Judges 5:30), and of the bride's apparel inPsalm 44:15, where according to the Hebrew text she is said to be arrayed in embroiderings of gold and raiment of needlework. The garments of the faithless spouse, the figure ofIsrael (Ezekiel 16:10, 13, 18), were likewise embroidered. InEzekiel 26:16, it is foretold that the princes of the seas shall put off their broidered garments, and broidered stuffs are mentioned among the merchandise ofTyre (Ezekiel 27:7, 16, 24).

In theAuthorized or King James Version (Exodus 28:4) one of thehigh-priest's garments is called "a broidered coat"; the Revised Version changed it to "a coat of chequer work". TheDouay has "a strait linen garment" (lineam strictam in theVulgate). TheHebrew used here is not found elsewhere in Scripture. It is believed by some to indicated "a surface device of lustre upon one colour", similar to work still done inDamascus. Even in regard to the nature of the word which is translated "embroidery", authorities are not agreed. Some regard it aspainting on cloth, others as an ornamentation produced by sewing on to a stuff pieces of materials of other colours, other again as a fabric woven from threads of different colours.

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