Religious Embroidery (orfrois) Period Late 16th Century

These are two large fragments of figured embroidery called orfrois from the late 16th century, probably from liturgical items used as religious vestments or religious decorative elements (for example: chasuble, antependium, etc.). One panel represents the Annunciation, the other the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus. Each subject is presented in a rich circular cartridge with different patterns of arabesques, windings made of inserts of different colors. Different textiles were used such as garnet-coloured velvet, yellow, green and blue silk, cut out and then sewn onto a fine linen canvas. These cut-outs are enhanced with golden threads, a magnificent work of embroidery, a true precious art for its time. Faces and hands are drawn. Visible wear on all of these approximately four centuries old works! The cartouche is surrounded by a frieze embroidered with gilded threads, then around the edge by a frieze alternating ribbons and foliage. The set forming a pair remains protected under glass in a golden baguette frame (recent professional framing). I invite you to read: Enquête sur les orfrois du Musée de Bretagne, from which the text below is taken (thank you Internet) They evoke the time when figure embroidery adorned the liturgical cloakroom of Christianity, the time when the embroidered image acted as an open book to the faithful. We will try to better understand these orfrois, through a historical and archaeological analysis while trying to grasp the place of the embroidered image in Christian culture and the extent of commercial and artistic exchanges in Brittany in modern times. The orfrey is an embroidery design made with gold and silver threads, silk and sometimes linen and wool. It is intended to adorn liturgical garments such as the cope, the chasuble, the dalmatic or the tunic in order to participate in the sacred character of religious clothing. Above all, it plays a didactic role through the representation of saints, martyrs or bishops, composing a veritable iconographic program with several characters or sketches. The orfrois are arranged in vertical registers, as on the bishop's cope depicted in the illumination by Pierre le Baud. They were made by embroiderers and some European workshops have made a specialty of them since the 13th century. Note: their large format, dimensions at sight 51 X 49 cm. Delivery: 20€ for metropolitan France.