Textile Fabrics: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuffs, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the MuseumRock, Daniel
History
Textile Fabrics: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuffs, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the Museum
Rock, Daniel
Art objects -- England -- London -- Catalogs; Textile fabrics
It is said that an imperial tunic, now kept in the Maximilian Museum
at Munich, once belonged to the Emperor Henry II., and was spoken of
as such in a list of the treasures of Bamberg Cathedral in the 12th
century. From the border of this tunic the piece before us is reported
to have been cut off.
That in the 12th century Bamberg Cathedral had the imperial (probably
the coronation) tunic of its builder and great benefactor, and as such
reckoned it among its precious things, was but natural; it, however,
by no means follows that this is the garment now at Munich and brought
from Bamberg six hundred years after its reputed owner’s death, and
put into the museum in his palace by the Elector Maximilian, A.D.
1607. Keeping in mind that the Emperor Henry II. was crowned at the
very beginning of the 11th century, about the year 1002, and seeing
in the piece before us the style of the end of the 12th century--with
thus a period of almost two hundred years between the two epochs--we
cannot recognize this specimen to have ever formed a portion of the
real tunic of the above-named German emperor. Besides its style, its
materials forbid us to accept it as such. Its design is set forth in
cording of a coarse thread roughly put together; the spaces between
are filled in with shreds of red silken gold tissue, and of gold
stuff sewed on to very coarse canvas. That, in this condition, it
had been much used, and needed mending through long wear, is evident
from other pieces of a gold and velvet texture of the 14th century
being let in here and there over the frayed portions, thus showing a
second example of what is called “applied.” Like Germany, England,
too, has made its mistakes on such matters, for we are told that
“as the kings of England are invested with the crown of St. Edward,
their queens are crowned with that of St. Edgitha, which is named in
honour of the Confessor’s consort.”--Taylor’s “Glory of Regality,”
p. 63. In the inventory, drawn up in the year 1649, “of that part of
the Regalia which are now removed from Westminster to the Tower Jewel
House,” we find entered “Queen Edith’s crowne, King Alfred’s crowne,”
&c.--Taylor’s “Glory of Regality,” p. 313. The likelihood is that, in
the 17th century, these supposed Anglo-Saxon crowns were not 200 years
old.
8233.
Piece of White Silk, with rich pattern of circles enclosing leopards
and griffins, and a diaper of scrolls and birds. Oriental, 13th
century. 1 foot 11 inches by 9 inches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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