8709.
Altar-Frontal of grey linen, figured in needle-*work, with flowers, stars, and heraldic animals, on alternating squares of plain linen and net-work. German, 15th century. 9 feet 5-1/2 inches by 4 feet 2-1/2 inches.
This important piece of stitchery was never meant for a covering
to the table or upper part of the altar; it served as a frontal to it, and
was hung before, and at each corner of the altar so as to cover it and
its two sides down to the ground. From all its ornaments having an
armorial feeling about them, this elaborate piece of needle-work would
seem to have been wrought by the hands of some noble lady, who
took the blazon of her house for its adornment. At the lower part, in
the middle, is a shield of arms argent, charged with two bars once gules;
high above, a star of eight points voided gules; below, a fleur-de-lis barred
argent and gules; at each of the four corners of the square a maneless
lion rampant barred argent and gules. To the right, on the same level,
a square filled in with fleurs-de-lis; then a square with birds and
beasts unknown to English heraldry: the birds, natant, have heads
of the deer kind, horned, and the beasts a beaked head with a single
arched horn coming out of the forehead with the point of the bow in
front; both birds and beasts are paled argent and gules. On the next
square are stars of eight points, and flowers with eight petals, within
quatrefoils all argent, upon a field (the netting) gules. The last square
is separated into three pales each charged with a flower-like ornament
alternately argent and gules. Above this square is another of net gules,
charged with four flowers argent; and, going to the left, we have a
square showing two bears combatant barred argent and gules; still to
the left, birds at rest, and stars alternating argent upon a square of net
gules. Next to this a large antelope tripping paled argent and gules;
then a square having lions rampant within lozenges with a four-petaled
flower at every point, all argent, on a field (of net) gules. Following
this is a large dog, maned and rampant barred argent and gules; to
this succeeds a square of net gules charged with lozenges, having over
each point a mascle, and within them stars of eight points all argent.
The last square to the left on this middle row is charged with a
heart-shaped ornament voided in the form of a fleur-de-lis, and put in
three piles of four with flowers between. The only other square
