European Textiles

Spain

• 16th century
  101 x 21 cms
  116 x 21 cms

An embroidered band on a chasuble or other vestment or hanging.

Crimson velvet, skulls & cross bones painted on a silk taffeta, with silk & gold polychrome embroidered borders, originally on a black velvet vestment.

Cristobal de Valenzuela, a master craftsman who lived in Cordova in the 16th & early 17th centuries was contracted on September 25th, 1604 to embroider two frontals for the altar of the church of Obejo. One of them was to be of purple velvet worked in gold, & the other of "black velvet, with borders & caidas embroidered in yellow satin & white satin, with skulls & bones embroidered in gold."

The skull and crossbones were a favourite design upon these objects. The Church of the Escorial possesses four paraments so decorated, which were shown, in 1878, at the Parisian Exhibition of Retrospective Art.

A related example in the V&A Museum
Origin - Spain (probably, made)
1600 - 1650 (made)
Artist/Maker, Unknown
Materials & Techniques: Embroidered silk velvet, applied with silk satin, corded thread, partly painted, backed with linen. Credit Line: Given by Madame Tussaud's Ltd.
V&A Museum No. T.298C-1967