8579.
Piece of Silk and Linen Damask; ground, green; pattern, a monster animal within a circle studded with full moons, and a smaller circle holding a crescent-moon studded in like manner. Syrian, 13th century. 1 foot 8-1/4 inches by 1 foot 2 inches.
This bold and effective design is somewhat curious, exhibiting,
as it does, a novel sort of monster which is made up of a dog's
head and fore-paws, wings erect, and a broad turned-up bushy tail
freckled with squares, in each of which is an ornament affecting sometimes
the shape of an L, sometimes of an F, at others of an A. Around
the neck of this imaginary beast is a collar which, as well as the root
of the wing, shows imitations of Arabic characters.
8580.
Portion of Gold Embroidery; ground, dark blue silk; pattern, large griffins in gold. Early 13th century. 1 foot 4-1/2 inches by 12-1/2 inches.
Pity it is that we have such a small part, and that so mutilated, of
what must have been such a fine specimen of the needle. Though the
whole pattern may not be made out, enough remains to show that the
griffins, which were langued gules, stood in pairs and rampant, both
figured with two-forked tails ending in trefoils, all worked in rich gold
thread.
8581.
Portion of an Orphrey; ground, crimson silk; pattern, stars of eight points, within squares, both embroidered in gold. 14th century. 5-1/2 inches by 2 inches.
This is one of the very few specimens which have pure gold, or
perhaps only silver-gilt wire, without any admixture of thread in it,
employed in the stars and narrow oblong ornaments in the embroidery,
