This fine rich stuff must have been most effective for wall-hangings. The blue silk ground is tastefully diapered in bright and dull shades of the silk itself; and in the fine gold design the artichoke is judiciously brought in upon the ogee arches. When nicely managed, nothing is better than a ground in one shade and a design in a deeper tone of the same colour.
1341.
Silk and Gold Damask; ground, fawn-coloured silk; design, pomegranates piled together in threes, all gold, and flowers in silk alternately crimson and green. Spanish, 16th century. 16-1/4 inches by 12 inches.
The rich ground of this fine stuff has a well-designed and rather
raised diapering of geometrical scroll-work; the pomegranates are
wrought in pure gold thread, and the tones of the flowers are bright.
1342.
Worsted Work; ground, black; design, flowers. German, 16th century. 21-1/4 inches square.
Very likely this was part of a carpet, embroidered by hand, for
covering the top of the higher step at the altar, called by some a pede-*cloth;
the ground is of a black worsted warp, with a woof of thick
brown thread. The flowers are mostly crimson-shaded pink, some are,
or were, partly white, and seem to be made for sorts of the pentstemon,
digitalis, and fritillaria; a butterfly, too, is not forgotten.
1343.
Cradle-quilt, linen, embroidered in coloured silks with flowers and names. German, late 15th century. 3 feet 4-1/4 inches by 1 foot 8-1/4 inches.
At each of its four corners, as well as in the middle, is wrought a
large bunch of our "meadow pink;" between the flowers are worked
these names,—"Jhesus, Maria, Johanes, Jaspar, Baltasar, Maria,
