Thursday 10 January 2013

Eastern pre-1200 Textiles in Western Churches and Cathedrals


I am compiling a list of EASTERN textiles pre-1200 in WESTERN churches & cathedrals, and a photographic resource to go with it.
I am interested in Silk Road influence, Sassanian fragments, shrouds, etc. And – incidentally – has anyone published a picture or description of the one found round Princess Eadgyth?
Ancient textiles from the East have often been conserved in Western churches and cathedrals.
They were sometimes used as shrouds and subsequently venerated as holy relics, the source of lucrative pilgrimages.
They were also brought back from the East by crusaders and pilgrims, or given to established abbeys and cathedrals by great lords and princes.
Some of these Sassanian, Byzantine, Egyptian and Moorish textiles are still in religious edifices, in their treasuries or episcopal museums.
Others can be found in museums all over the world.
There is no doubt that they have been of the greatest importance in disseminating the styles and cultural influences of the Silk Routes into Western Europe and many motifs familiar to us on Romanesque capitals and artefacts have their origin in the imported silks and especially the Sassanian images. museums.


Auxerre "Suaire de St Germain" 11thc
Cadouin Abbey, shroud, 10thc
Cadouin Abbey, embroidered border, 10th c
Chinon, Cope of St Mexme, 11thc
Jouarre Abbey, pheasants on silk, 7thc
"Amazons" Sassanian silk panel from the Abbey of Faremoutiers, 8c
Sens, "Suaire de St Victor" 8th-9thc also known as Gilgamesh and as "The lion stranglers"
Sens, Byzantine "Shroud of Saint Potentien",12th century, Sens
Shroud of St Lazarus, Autun, 11thc from Spain
Autun, suaire de St Lazaire
Auxerre, Byzantine silk panel with spread eagle
Charioteer and horses, Byzantine, 7thc, from Aachen Cathedral
Bishop Gunther's shroud, Byzantine, 11thc, now in Bamberg Cathedral
Bishop Gunther's shroud, Byzantine, 11thc, now in Bamberg Cathedral
Double bodied twin winged lions, Persian, BC
Eastern Persia - Fighting lions 8th-9th century, Vatican Museum
Egyptian woven, Sassanian inspired, 7thc Berlin Museum
lion passing motif Sasanian cloth 7th-8th c
Sasanian textile 7thc Metropolitan Museum, New York
Sassanian geese with entwined necks
Sassanian silk, 7thc Vatican Museum
Byzantine silk senmurvs Brussels "musée d'art & histoire" 7thc
Senmurv, 7thc samite silk Brussels
Embroidered panel, 11th-12thc, Fatimid Egypt, Musée de Cluny, Paris
Shroud of St Lazarus of Autun 11thc Andalusia, Musée de Cluny, Paris
Embroidered linen, 11thc, Andalusia, Musée de Cluny, Paris
Embroidered panel, 11th-12thc, Fatimid Egypt, Musée de Cluny, Paris
Silk shroud of St Sernin of Toulouse, 12thc, Andalusia, Musée de Cluny, Paris
Shroud of Samson, 8th-9thc Byzantium, Musée de Cluny, Paris
Shawl of Sabina, VIc AD, Coptic Egypt, Louvre
St Josse suaire 10thc W Iran from Caen, now in the Louvre
St Josse suaire 10thc W Iran from Caen, now in the Louvre detail showing cintamani
Medallion with man riding lion 5th-6thc Egypt
Medallion with Christ, Orpheus etc
Fragment of legging 5th-6thc Coptic Egypt
Legging 2
Winged horses Sassanian 7thc
Shroud of St Austremoine of Mozac, 8th or 10th-12thc, Lyons Textile Museum. Also known as the "Tissu de Mozac"
Kaikobad silk panel 12thc Anatolia
Tapestry with animals & figures 12thc Sicily
Lazarus cope 11thc Almeira
Fabric with cavaliers 4th-6thc Egypt - Sassanian influence
Cavaliers
2892
Lyon two-headed spread eagle from Thuir, 12thc Spain
Tiraz of Hisham II Madrid Academia Real
Sassanian silk lions, V&A Museum, London
Silk fragment with decoration of Senmurvs,V&A Museum, London
Mantle of Roger II of Sicily made in 1133, Kunsthistorische Museum, Vienna
Mantle of Roger II of Sicily (right side) made in 1133, Kunsthistorische Museum, Vienna
Mantle of Roger II of Sicily (detail) made in 1133, Kunsthistorische Museum, Vienna
Abegg Foundation, Berne, Switzerland, winged horse, Egypt, 7thc
Peacock shawl fringe 10thc, Instituto Valencia de Don Juan, Madrid
Master of Beasts fragment made in Spain, 12thc, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Washington
Sassanian silk fragment with peacocks, Aachen 6thc
Sassanian fragment 6th-8thc twin horses
Senmurv on silk fragment, 7th-8thc, Victoria & Albert Museum
Silk panel with winged lions, Central Asian, Cleveland Art Museum
7th-8thc Sogdian Zandane from Brussels Musée d'art & d'histoire
Kaikobad silk panel 12thc Anatolia
Tapestry with animals & figures 12thc Sicily
Silk from the tomb of Edward the Confessor, 11thc V&A - sketch
Silk from the tomb of Edward the Confessor, 11thc V&A - text
Witches' cloth 12thc, from Al-Andalus
Witches' cloth 12thc Al-Andalus
Bishop St Bernat Calbo cloth showing Master of Beasts or Lion Strangler
Shroud of Henry the Saint, Bamberg, Germany, 11thc silk, Cairo
Mesopotamian textile 10thc, Hermitage Museum
Shroud "des saints innocents" (of the Holy Innocents) 8thc, Abbey of St Germain, Auxerre
Carpet from Pazyryk, c 500 BC, Hermitage Museum
Felt cloth from Pazyryk, c 500 BC, Hermitage Museum
Saddlecloth from Pazyryk, c 500 BC, Hermitage Museum

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