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| Cope Embroidered fragments from a cope with The Tree of Jesse England 1295-1315 Silver-gilt, silver thread and silk embroidery on silk twill |
During 2016 I engaged a good deal with much that was mediaeval. Firstly I visited (twice!) the exhibition of Mediaeval manuscripts at the Fitzwilliam Museum. This revelatory show led me to buy the wonderful book by Christopher de Hamel 'Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts' which is a must for anyone interested in knowing more about the study of these windows into the mediaeval world.
Over Christmas I went to the astonishing exhibition of Mediaeval Embroidery at the Victoria and Albert Museum and saw many of the images that occur on parchment realised on fabric by English craftsmen and women. For a period English work was renowned throughout Europe and was unsurpassed by anything available elsewhere. Interestingly some of the craftsmen came from Suffolk, including one from Haverhill and a woman called Mabel from Bury St Edmunds. Unsurprisingly many English saints, including our own St Edmund, were depicted on the vestments, altar cloths and other items that have been preserved.
There is a lot on the internet about manuscripts in particular, and I recommend the British Library website for anyone who wants to be able to examine them in depth. I have also come across the website below, and very much enjoyed the story of St Anselm and the Hare. To read about it click on the link below.
A Clerk of Oxford: St Anselm and the Hare
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