7084.
Silk Damask; ground, tawny; pattern, birds, flowers, and heart-shaped figures, encircled with imitated Arabic letters, all mostly in green, very partially shaded white. Sicilian, 14th century. 19-1/2 inches by 5-1/2 inches.
Above a heart-shaped ornament, bordered by a sham inscription in
Arabic, and surrounded by a wreath, are two birds of the hoopoe kind,
and beneath, two other birds, like eagles; and this design is placed amid
the oval spaces made by garlands of flowers. All the component elements
of the pattern are in small, though well-drawn figures.
7085.
Silk and Gold Damask; ground, tawny; pattern, fruit, beasts, and birds. Sicilian, 14th century. 22-1/4 inches by 10 inches.
This rich stuff has an elaborate pattern, consisting of three pieces of
fruit, like oranges or apples, with a small pencil of sun-rays darting from
them above, out of which springs a little bunch of trefoils, which separate
two lions, in gold, that are looking down, and with open langued
mouths; below is another and larger pencil of beams, shining upon
two perched eagles, with wings half spread out for flight. Between
such groups is a large flower like an artichoke, with two blue flowers,
like the centaurea, at the stalk itself; above which is, as it were, the
feathering of an arch with a bunch of three white flowers, for its cusp.
With the exception of the lions and flowers, the rest of the pattern is
in green.
7086.
Silk and Gold Brocade; ground, dark purple; pattern, all in gold, floriations, birds and beasts. Oriental, 13th century. 18-1/4 inches by 7 inches.
When new, this rich stuff must have been very effective, either for
liturgical use or personal wear. There is a broad border, formed by
the shallow sections of circles, inscribed with imitated Arabic characters.
Out of the points or featherings made by the junctions of the circular
