Lord Himself uprising, with His right hand giving a blessing, and in His left a banner, and by His side cherubic heads. The fourth pale at top gives us the B. V. Mary and our infant Saviour in her arms, very much worn away, and beneath, St. Peter with his keys, in gold upon crimson. The other pales are but repetitions of the foregoing. Altogether, this frontal, thread-bare as it is in places, is well worth the attention of those who interest themselves in the history of Venetian design, and the art of weaving.
8977.
Hood to a Cope; ground, two shades of yellow silk; subject, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Venetian, 16th century. 1 foot 4 inches by 1 foot 3-1/2 inches.
Within an oval, upheld by four angels, and radiant with glory,
and having a cherubic head beneath her, the B. V. Mary is rising
heavenward from her tomb, out of which lilies are springing, and by it
St. Thomas on his knees is reaching out his hand to catch the girdle
dropped down to him. On an oval upon the face of the tomb
is witten "Assunta est," like what is shown in other pieces in this
collection.
8978.
Piece of Silk Orphrey Web; ground, crimson; pattern, the Coronation, in heaven, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in yellow. Venetian, 16th century. 1 foot 7-1/2 inches by 10-3/4 inches.
This design, though treated after the tradition of the Italian schools,
has one peculiarity. On the royal diadem which our Lord, who wears, as
Great High Priest of the new law, a triple-crowned tiara, is putting on
the head of His mother a large star is conspicuously shown; one of the
titles of St. Mary is "stella maris," star of the sea, which would not be
forgotten by a seafaring people like the Venetians.
