Ecclesiastical embroideries
Object name
Date made
Early 20th century
Place made
Description
Trio of early 20th-century ecclesiastical embroideries likely made for a specific but unknown church or cathedral, heavily embroidered with white lilies and spring flowers.
Content description
Trio of early 20th-century ecclesiastical embroideries featuring Eastertime floral imagery. The first piece is a curved textile that is heavily embroidered with white lilies and spring flowers on a gold coloured silk damask background. The object is in three pieces. A large curved panel is densely stitched using long and short stitches and features a range of white spring flowers which are associated with Easter. Beginning at the bottom and working upwards, they include white lily of the valley, arum lilies, and Madonna lilies, all of which are synonymous with spring and also often used to symbolise peace. Lily of the valley is for purity, joy, love, sincerity, return of happiness, and luck, while arum or calla lilies represent purity, faithfulness, innocence, and holiness. 'Calla' in Greek means beauty; they are often associated with resurrection and hence Easter. Madonna lilies symbolise purity, innocence, chastity, and elegance. They are frequently associated with the Virgin Mary.
The top of the object is stitched to a piece of cream silk damask fabric. There are strips of silk ribbon along both sides of the object and along the top of the cream damask. The composition of the object suggests the cream damask sat atop a table and the embroidered gold damask hung in front of it. The size, materials, imagery, and presence of what appears to be a small wine stain suggests this object may be an altar frontal, though it is admittedly highly unusual for an altar to be curved. It should be noted that there are two curves near the top of the object which suggest it would be tied to a pole on each side. A darker line that runs across the cream damask suggests whatever this object covered was up against a wall.
A second panel, also on gold damask, is horizontally-oriented. It features the words 'PEACE' in green embroidered lettering and vine leaves on either side. The letters have been surrounded by a row of couched gold passing threads. The vine leaves are worked in long and short stitches and chain stitch stems. A passementerie of cream and brown coloured cords sits above both and looks to have been appliqued onto the background damask. At the top and bottom of the panel are pieces of cream damask and ties are attached along the top and bottom. These features suggest that this panel, too, was tied to a surface or structure. It has spaces for poles that match the first object's, suggesting that it was tied nearer the top of the same two poles. It seems likely that this was fixed to a pelmet that sat above whatever surface the curved embroidery covered. Unlike the first piece, it is straight rather than curved.
A third panel, bigger than the second and with a flat edge, also features lilies. Its top edge exhibits white wisteria flowers, which stand for resilience and longevity, worked in French knots, long and short, satin, and straight stitches. It is likely that this hung down from something like a lectern or pulpit in whatever church once held this trio of embroideries.
It is unknown where this trio is from or whom it would have been made for, but the uniqueness of the size and shape indicate it was custom-made for a specific space. It is hoped that further research will reveal what space this is.
The top of the object is stitched to a piece of cream silk damask fabric. There are strips of silk ribbon along both sides of the object and along the top of the cream damask. The composition of the object suggests the cream damask sat atop a table and the embroidered gold damask hung in front of it. The size, materials, imagery, and presence of what appears to be a small wine stain suggests this object may be an altar frontal, though it is admittedly highly unusual for an altar to be curved. It should be noted that there are two curves near the top of the object which suggest it would be tied to a pole on each side. A darker line that runs across the cream damask suggests whatever this object covered was up against a wall.
A second panel, also on gold damask, is horizontally-oriented. It features the words 'PEACE' in green embroidered lettering and vine leaves on either side. The letters have been surrounded by a row of couched gold passing threads. The vine leaves are worked in long and short stitches and chain stitch stems. A passementerie of cream and brown coloured cords sits above both and looks to have been appliqued onto the background damask. At the top and bottom of the panel are pieces of cream damask and ties are attached along the top and bottom. These features suggest that this panel, too, was tied to a surface or structure. It has spaces for poles that match the first object's, suggesting that it was tied nearer the top of the same two poles. It seems likely that this was fixed to a pelmet that sat above whatever surface the curved embroidery covered. Unlike the first piece, it is straight rather than curved.
A third panel, bigger than the second and with a flat edge, also features lilies. Its top edge exhibits white wisteria flowers, which stand for resilience and longevity, worked in French knots, long and short, satin, and straight stitches. It is likely that this hung down from something like a lectern or pulpit in whatever church once held this trio of embroideries.
It is unknown where this trio is from or whom it would have been made for, but the uniqueness of the size and shape indicate it was custom-made for a specific space. It is hoped that further research will reveal what space this is.
Dimensions
width: 256cm
height: 105cm
width: 210cm
height: 52cm
height: 105cm
width: 210cm
height: 52cm
Materials
Stitches
Techniques
Motifs
Catalogue number
COL.51.a-c
Other numbers
RSN 1016
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