haruenishikawa: Embroidered Hanging late 14th century Made in,...

haruenishikawa:

Embroidered Hanging
late 14th century
Made in, probably Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany
Silk on linen, painted inscriptions

This embroidery depicts a cycle of scenes from the Hebrew Bible that prefigure scenes from the New Testament. The choice of scenes appears to be of local inspiration as they do not entirely correspond to any of the widely circulated typologies, such as the Speculum humanae salvationes or the Biblia pauperum. The Cloisters embroidery formed the left section of a larger work. The center section with Christ Enthroned in the upper border was once in the parish church of Brakel in Westphalia. The right section most likely depicted important scenes from the life of Christ. A scene in the Brakel fragment, showing a church consecration, suggests that the embroidery was made for such an event. The use of silk rather than wool, which was commonly used in Wienhausen embroideries, and the appearance of the locally venerated saints, Epiphanius, Bernward, and Godehard, support an attribution to a convent in the region of Hildesheim. Facial details are enhanced with paint. The coats of arms are those of the landgrave of Hesse and the House of Lichtfuss.