THE VESTMENTS OF THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Netherlands, Brussels (?), second and third quarter of the 15th century
Vienna, Schatzkammer A complete set for a chapel:
two hangings for the altar, i.e. frontal and dossal (Frontier, Dossier).
Both 117 x 327 cm; chasuble, 147 x 131 cm; dalmatic and tuncile, both 154 x 125 cm; three large copes, each 164 x 330 cm Stout linen ground. The frames of the pictorial panels are of red velvet with gold bands. Embroidery in gold thread, pearls, topazes, sapphires. Coloured silks in a great variety of shades; red, bluish, pink, brownish red, carmine, flame red, blue in various shades, apple green shading to olive green, ochre, lilac, violet, greyish brown, and various shot tones. Or nue’; heads and hands in needle painting; split and satin stitches and couched work. Each of the panels were then sewn together and framed with the gold borders. Extraordinarily good state of preservation. The age of the work is apparent only in the occasional detachment of the embroidery from the background, some loose threads and very slight losses of pearls.