Lampas weave silk and gilt metal, with appliqué embroidery in silk and gilt metal threads, coat of arms of the Aragonese crown

Disclaimer: while the term 'oriental' has been used in the 2004 catalogue entry, it has since fallen from usage and is now considered offensive. The term is repeated in this record as the entry is cited without interventions.

From Linda Woolley's catalogue entry for Mediterraneum. Splendour of the Medieval Mediterranean. 13th-15th Centuries, Barcelona: European Institute of the Mediterranean. Barcelona, 2004:

'This altar frontal has a luxurious background material of silk in pink (now very faded) and gold with an Oriental design of ogival shaped compartments, edged with fleurs de lys. The arrangement of paired birds (phoenixes?) within the compartments is based on earlier Near and Far Eastern prototypes. Identifying the precise provenance of woven silks from this period is still problematical. Spain had a long and very well-developed silk industry by this time and it is possible that this silk may have been produced in one of its southern weaving centres. However, it is more likely to have been imported from one of the Islamic centres further east, possibly Iran.

The armorial design is embroidered in silk and gold thread on pieces of silk and linen, which are cut to shape and applied to the silk background. The embroidered motif, repeated three times, consists of twined stems of columbine, reminiscent of the flowers on an altar frontal at Vich which dates to 1393. These surround the arms of Aragon-Barcelona in a lozenge, as borne by the city and Kingdom of Valencia.'

From register: 'Portion of an altar frontal. Red satin (now much faded) woven in gold thread with a diaper pattern of ogee-shaped compartments, each outlined with fleurs-de-lys and filled in with a pair of birds regardant, and having a conventional tree between.'

Although the altar frontal was made in Spain, the backing textile may well have been imported from Iran.

This Spanish altar frontal combines a luxurious background material with embroidery and appliqué. The pink and gold ground silk is woven with a Middle Eastern design of ogival shaped compartments housing paired birds and a tree, and edged with fleurs de lys. Identifying the precise provenance of woven silks from this period is still problematical. Spain had a long and very well-developed silk industry by this time and it is possible that this silk may have been produced in one of its southern weaving centres. It is more likely, however, to have been imported from one of the Islamic centres further east, possibly Iran.

The three lozenge-shaped badges display the arms of Aragon-Barcelona as borne by the city and Kingdom of Valencia. The armorial design is embroidered in silk and gold thread on pieces of silk and linen, which are cut to shape and applied to the silk background. The embroidered motif, repeated three times, consists of twined stems of columbine.

A number of embroiderers, particularly from Flanders, are recorded in Barcelona and Valencia from the late 14th century onwards. Valencia had at this time a whole street inhabited by embroiderers and embroidery designers. The frontal may well therefore be the product of a Valencian workshop, but may also have been made in Barcelona.

792-1893