1294. Silk Damask; ground, purple; design, large fan-like leaves, between small fruits of the pomegranate, in dead purple. Spanish, late 15th century. Upon this specimen there was sewed an inscription, now so broken as not to make sense, and from the style of letter, of the floriated form, done in red and gold thread upon purple canvas, as is all the scroll-work about it, some German hand must have wrought it. 1295. Tissue of Cotton Warp and Silk and Gold Woof; ground, now yellow; design, eagles in pairs, divided by rayed orbs, amid foliage all in gold. Sicilian, middle 14th century. 6½ inches by 5½ inches. The eagles are about to take wing, and are pecking at the rays of, seemingly, the sun which separates them. The foliage is much like, in form, that which so often occurs on works from the looms of Palermo; and, in all likelihood, the ground, now yellow, was once of a fawn-colour. Though good in design, this stuff is made of poor materials, the silk in it is small, and the gold of such a base quality that it has become a dusky brown. 1296. Tissue of Flaxen Thread Warp and Silk and Gold Woof; ground, fawn-coloured; design, eagles in pairs affronted, with a pencil of sun-rays darting down upon their heads, and resting amid flowers all in gold. Sicilian, middle 14th century. 8 inches by 4¼ inches. What we said of No. 1295 is equally applicable to this specimen, in which, however, may be seen, the corn-flower, centaurea, so often met with in Palermitan textures of the time. 1297. Silk Damask; ground, light green; design, within a heart-shaped figure, a large vine-leaf, at which two very small hoopoes, one at each side, are pecking; outside the ovals, from which large bunches of small-fruited grapes are hanging, runs a scroll with little vine-leaves, all now of a fawn-colour, but at first in a rosy crimson hue. Italian, late 14th century. 15 inches by 5¼ inches. The design for this tasteful stuff was thrown off by an easy flowing hand; and Dr. Bock has given a good plate, in his “Dessinateur des Etoffes,” 3 Livraison, of a silk almost the very same, the differences being some very slight variations in parts of its colours. 1298, 1298A. Silk Damask; ground, purple; design, amid foliage and small geometrical figures, birds in pairs, all in rosy red, and beasts in gold. Sicilian, 14th century. 9½ inches by 3¾ inches, and 4½ inches by 4 inches. Putting these two pieces together we make out this beautiful, elaborate, though small pattern. What the birds may be is hard to guess, but the beasts seem lionesses, with bushy tails, and bold spirited griffins. Dr. Bock has figured this stuff in the before-mentioned large work. 1299.