much later period, to the large piece of linen to which it is now attached; for the purpose of being put up either in a private chapel, or over some very small altar in a church, as a sort of reredos; or, perhaps, it may have originally been one of the apparels on an alb: never, however, on an amice, being much too large for such a purpose. One singularity in the subject is the appearance of crimson tassels, one at each corner of the napkin figured with our Lord's likeness, which is kept with great care still, at Rome, among the principal relics in St. Peter's, where it is shown in a solemn manner on Easter Monday. It is one of those representations of a sacred subject called by the Greeks [Greek: acheiropoiêtos], that is, "not made by hands," or, not the work of man, as was noticed in the Introduction to the present Catalogue.
8652.
Linen Towel, with thread embroidery; pattern, lozenges, some enclosing flowers, others, lozenges. German, 15th century. 3 feet 11 inches by 1 foot 6-1/2 inches.
Most likely this small piece of linen was meant to be a covering for
a table, or may be the chest of drawers in the vestry, and upon which
the vestments for the day were laid out for the celebrating priest to put
on. In the pattern there is evidently a strong liking for the gammadion—a
kind of figuration constructed out of modifications of the Greek
letter gamma. In England the gammadion became known as the "filfot,"
and seems to have been looked upon as a symbol for the name
Francis or Frances, and is of frequent occurrence in our national
monuments—especially in needlework—belonging to the 14th and 15th
centuries. From the presence of that large eight-petaled flower in this
cloth we are somewhat warranted in thinking that the same hand that
wrought the fine and curious frontal, No. 8709, worked this, and that
her baptismal name was Frances.
8653-8661A.
Ten Fragments of Narrow Laces for edgings to liturgical garments, woven, some in gold, some in silk, and some in worsted. 8658 is a specimen of parti-coloured fringe; 8659 shows a two-legged monster as part of its design;
