A Follow-up Follow-up. The Chasuble of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Ok, so in my last post, I talked a little about the items and their history, but here, I'd like to show off the technology that lets everyone view them, and see a little more about how they were made. Firstly, I'd like to show a picture of the Opus Anglicanum that was, as I said in that previous post, said to be the finest example of Mediaeval needlework in existence. The main points stressed in the documentary that statement came from were the split-stitching, and the expressive nature of the faces. So here's a detail of one of my favourite pieces featured in the documentary, a nativity from the Bologna cope.

I couldn't agree more that the faces are beautiful, and very emotive. However, in an objective way, I want to know more about the manufacture of both before I decide that one is better than the other, if I decide at all! The difficulty in manufacturing pieces such as these has to be taken into account when discussing which has achieved greater realism and, effectively, triumphed over it's medium. So let's look at the Belgian vestments more closely.
The chasuble is a unique item amongst the set, and seen here is the back view.

This item is far more 'zoomable' than the copes, and therefore, a sequence of captures follow. First, see the angel to the left of the figure of Christ above. His face is constructed in silk on linen (laid on top of the gold, or padded onto the original linen base, it's hard to tell) in 'burden' stitch. But his hands are stitched directly over gold, though using the same method.

Looking at the face of the angel, you can clearly see (it may be necessary to view this picture full-size), the linen base coming through - these spots are ringed in blue. With the hands, the gold base is even more evident. In the lower ring of the face detail, it's also possible to see a strand of the gold thread turning back on itself. This is why I say I am uncertain as to whether the gold stops are the boundaries of the face, or carries on underneath padded linen across the width of the cloth.

Unlike the angel, in this detail of Christ's face, it is easy to see how the red and pink threads have been laid onto the gold to construct the features - as far as I know, this is the only face in Or Nué in the set.

It is also possible to see the different directions of each layer of 'gilding', but again, the ends of the threads are so beautifully covered, that it is difficult to decide whether they are literally layered (which seems unlikely) or that the direction of each thread is decided beforehand - for example, I think that the halo's circular thread placement must have been pre-planned, and the horizontal threads turned back on themselves all around it. However, the hair appears to be laid on over the top of the robe's horizontal threads. Another detail:

And another of the hair over the robe:

Finally, a closer shot of the eye, where you can see a thread outline.

Again, the workmanship is incredible. The shading along the bridge of the nose, the different colours in the hair - it's amazing. But now observe this: two of the pictures I've already shown, but reduced in scale to life-size. The detail of the angel, if displayed at the correct resolution, should be no larger than 75mm high. The detail of Christ's face with halo, 150mm.

So, what techniques are viewable in these details? Well, it's almost entirely made from Or Nué, most often creating a picture through use of multi-coloured silks. In some places, a gold or white silk has been used to create the illusion of patterns made entirely from undulating gold - this is most noticeable in the borders surrounding the angels and (on the copes) the halos of the saints. Around each irregular hexagonal frame housing an angel or saint, there is also a strip of fine red velvet, with the pile somewhat worn. This has been embroidered over with more gold. The faces of the minor characters on the chasuble (and I suspect this to be case with the figures on all three copes) are stitched with silk on linen, raised in some way. For the moment, I'll leave this little research point at that - looking around for more information on similar vestments, I came across a thesis written by an Art History PhD student on the subject of Opus Anglicanum. Maybe it'll shed more light on the early works, as so few really good illustrations exist of them.