European Textiles

Part of a Church Vestment

• Polychrome silks with metal threads
  Circa 1725
  86 x 53 cms

This fabric depicts Juno, in a blue dress, seated on a cloud, with a peacock, Juno is armed and wearing a goatskin cloak. A building, perhaps the Capitol, woven in gold and silver thread is below her. She was the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods and is the protector and special counsellor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister (but also the wife) of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent was Hera. Her Etruscan counterpart was Uni. As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman Empire, Juno was called Regina ("queen") and, together with Jupiter and Minerva, was worshipped as a triad on the Capitol (Juno Capitolina) in Rome. The fabric also has floral motifs.

This textile appears to be the work of Courtois, quoted by Nicolas Joubert de l'Hiberderie as the first one to introduce shaded tones, who laid tones of colours side by side to produce the effect of rounded forms. His favourite motif was an island in space, in our case the cloud carrying Juno and the Peacock, with flowers and a building below. The fabric may have been used for a statue of the Virgin or a saint.