Description:
Venetian red creuse-cut, silk velvet with metallic threads and gold/silver decorative braid around all four sides, and lined in red silk. Italy (particularly Lucca and Florence) was one of the major European centers for silk weaving throughout the late medieval period. The Venetian connection to Constantinople during the 1500s created a commercial and artistic interchange in which textiles played a major role. Venetians perfected both dying and weaving techniques - all strictly regulated by guilds - which resulted in superior quality silks including the well-known, cut and un-cut silk called 'cisele' used in this example. Used for both clothing and interiors, this richly-patterned cloth often survived in the form of church vestments. Wealthy patrons gave their silk velvet garments to the church to assure a more speedy entry into heaven. This example, which is the earliest piece of woven silk in HD's collection, was put together in a length in the early 20th century for use in interior decoration.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Silk Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.375 |
