The German city of Cologne was one of the main producers of colourful woven bands like this one during the 15th and 16th centuries. The bands were intended for church use. They were often used as orphreys and could also be used as borders for altar-cloths and hangings. (An orphrey is a decorative strip applied to one of the various types of church vestments, the ceremonial garments worn for services.) They were relatively mass-produced, because they were woven on a mechanical loom. They were thus cheaper than embroideries, which had to be made by hand. This example includes silver-gilt thread and has quite a complicated pattern, which suggests that it might have been at the top of the range of such textiles. German ecclesiastical textiles at this time, both embroidered and woven, favoured the inclusion of Christian inscriptions. These were in Latin, written in striking Gothic letters. Here the words ‘ihesus’ (Jesus) and ‘maria’ (an allusion to the Virgin Mary) are used.