Altar frontal of the high altar of Halberstadt Cathedral

Lower Saxony, second half of the 13th century, Halberstadt, Cathedral Museum, No. 203
Throne: about 58 cm high

(Some pictures from Bevin Butler’s blog post)

Detail. Red satin faded to old rose. Bead embroidery on parchment and linen. Coral and glass beads of cylindrical and spherical form, opaque and transparent. Predominant colors: coral red, two shades of green, dark blue shading, to light blue, turquoise, aubergine (i.e. eggplant purple), gold, black.

All the seed pearls and most of the violet glass beads and the gilded plaques are now missing. The outer edge and inner fields of the throne had metal plaques with Romanesque foliage and palmettes (their imprints remain on the material). The effect of the whole is impaired by the white patches left where the seed pearls and gold plaques have disappeared.

Pictoral History of Embroidery, M. Schuette (Library of Congress # 64-13379) [Gestickte Bildteppiche des Mittelalters (in english: Art of Medieval Tapestry), Leipzig1930.] Frederick A. Praeger, Inc, Publisher, New York 1964, 64 University Place, New York 3, New York

Related Items:

13th Century: Ciborium/Ziborium (Host Box) 14th Century: Marienwerder Antependium 13th Century: Halberstadt Antependium 13th Century: German Panels 14th Century: Cheb Antependium 13th Century: Halberstadt Mitre 14th Century: Altar Edging 14th Century: Borders with brakteats and plaques 15th Century: altar border with seed beads and brakteats 13th Century: Orphrey, 1220-1224 13th Century: Square Reliquary Box 13th Century: Reliquary hanging 15th Century: Lamb Of God 11th Century: Reliquary Bag with plaques and pearls 15th Century: Minden Mitre