our Lord quite naked, with His crossed nimb about His head. Those who bring to mind that lovely picture of Raphael's, the so-called "Madonna del Cardellino," or our Lady of the gold-finch, will see that such an idea was an old one when that prince of painters lived. This piece of needlework was originally wrought for the purpose of being applied, and shows on the back proofs that, in its last use, it had been pasted on to some vestment or altar-frontal.
8561.
Small Piece of Silk; ground, purple; pattern, boughs of green leaves twining amid rosettes, green, some with crimson, some with yellow centres. Sicilian, late 14th century. 6-1/2 inches by 3 inches.
Good in material and pretty in design, though the colours are not
happily contrasted.
8562.
Piece of Silk; ground, purple; pattern, circles inclosing, some a tree which separates beasts and birds, some a long stripe which seemingly separates birds, all in yellow. Syrian, 14th century. 1 foot 1-1/2 inches by 7-1/2 inches.
The piece is so faded that with much difficulty its design can be
traced, but enough is discernible to show the Persian feelings in it. No
doubt the beasts are the cheetah or spotted hunting leopard addorsed
and separated by the traditional "hom," and the birds over them, put
face to face, but parted by the "hom," are eagles.
8563.
Piece of Yellow Silk; pattern, a broad oval, filled in and surrounded with floriations. Florentine, 15th century. 11 inches by 7-1/2 inches.
The once elaborate design, now indiscernible, was brought out not
by another coloured silk but by the gearing of the loom; some one,
very recently, has tried to show it by tracing it out in lead-pencil.
