1283.
Silk Damask; ground, amber yellow; design, a hart, in gold, lodged beneath green trees in a park, the paling of which is light green, with a bunch of the corn-flower, centaurea, before it. Sicilian, 14th century. 7-1/2 inches by 5-1/2 inches.
1283A.
Silk Damask; ground, amber yellow; design, the sun in its splendour, an eagle in gold, a green tree. Sicilian, 14th century. 7-1/4 inches by 5-1/2 inches.
1284.
Silk Damask; ground, amber yellow; design, a hart, in gold, lodged beneath green trees in a park, the paling of which is light green, with a bunch of the corn-flower before it. Sicilian, 14th century. 7 inches by 6-1/2 inches.
1284A.
Silk Damask; ground, amber yellow; design, a running hart, in gold, amid foliage. Sicilian, 14th century. 8 inches by 4-1/2 inches.
The last four pieces are, in fact, but fragments of the same stuff,
and when put together make up its original pattern, and beautiful it
must have seemed when beheld as a whole; the bird and animals are
done with much freedom and spirit; so likewise the foliage: but two
of the portions, by being more exposed to the light, are much faded,
in such a manner that the green in them has almost fled. As usual, so
poor was the golden thread that the bird and animals now look almost
black, but here and there, with a good glass, shimmerings of gold may be
found upon them. To some eyes the sun may look like a rose surrounded
by rays. At one time or another an unfeeling hand has most plentifully
sprinkled all these four pieces with flowers made from gilt paper stamped
out, and pasted on the staff with stiff glue. The silk, especially the
yellow, of this tissue was mixed with very fine threads of cotton.
