Italian Mid 15th Century Renaissance Gold Thread Woven Band

A rare and amazing mid 15th century Italian Renaissance gold thread picture band woven for a church vestment. This piece depicts an angel at the top followed by a sun with the initials IHS, which stand for In His Service, next is another angel and on the bottom is the Virgin Mary. Woven along the sides are bands with scrolls and flowers all edged with a coordinating silk and metallic fringe. Lined on the back with red silk.

Renaissance woven pictures were the predecessors to the woven orphrey band and were in fashion from 1450- 1550. They were woven with the gold threads at the beginning changing over to silk by the turn of the century. Woven on small looms in a lampas style, which gives this band it’s raised pictorials, generally with a satin ground.

Condition: One small burn mark as pictured and this piece does have small areas of water stain that only seem to show up in the pictures but can be seen more clearly on the back lining. The top angel of this piece does have loose threads as seen in the picture but I in no way compromises the integrity of the textile. Overall a truly amazing early piece.