Four Embroidered Saints, probably from an Orphrey

Unknown

early- to mid-15th century · Embroidery on linen · Medieval Art

English needlework was prized throughout medieval Europe for its refined craftsmanship and vivid imagery. Embroidered with expensive colored and metallic threads, this example—cut from the band of an ecclesiastical garment --depicts Saints Peter, Catherine, Thomas, and Barbara. Feet planted upon a verdant ground blossoming with flowers, the figures stand beneath vaulted domes. Cut from a larger work of embroidery, the fragments would have originally decorated a panel from ecclesiastical vestments such as copes and chasubles.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early- to mid-15th century

Medium

Embroidery on linen

Culture

British

Department

Medieval Art