Woven Silk Velvet
1470-1529 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Polychrome silk velvet with a phoenix rising from its pyre bearing a scroll ('NORS VIVE' in reversed script) and with other pomegranate and plant motifs. White cut silk pile with some yellow silk weft, bound in 1/2 twill, and details in red, blue and green uncut silk pile. Selvedges of extended tabby, striped green and cream.
Most of the right hand selvedge is intact but has come away and been sewn back.
Most of the right hand selvedge is intact but has come away and been sewn back.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk velvet, cut and uncut pile |
| Brief description | Woven silk velvet, Italy, 1470-1529 |
| Physical description | Polychrome silk velvet with a phoenix rising from its pyre bearing a scroll ('NORS VIVE' in reversed script) and with other pomegranate and plant motifs. White cut silk pile with some yellow silk weft, bound in 1/2 twill, and details in red, blue and green uncut silk pile. Selvedges of extended tabby, striped green and cream. Most of the right hand selvedge is intact but has come away and been sewn back. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'NORS VIVE' [reversed] (On scroll, intended for MORS VIVE, which translates as 'Death, live!' in Latin)
|
| Credit line | Given by Edmund de Unger, to commemorate the Keepership of Donald King |
| Object history | This is one of four known panels of this velvet. One is in the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York (1983-4-2), and two others are in the Keir Collection, who donated this third one to us to commemorate Donald King's Keepership of the Textiles & Dress department. A detailed object study and assessment of this panel by Edmund de Unger, and a technical assessment by Lisa Mondas and Gabriel Vial of one of the Keir panels are published together in Textile History vol 20, no. 2 Autumn 1989, pages 309-20, |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic reference | De Unger, Edmund; Monnas, Lisa; and Vial, Gabriel, A Renaissance Silk Velvet With A Phoenix Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Textile History Volume 20 Number 2, Autumn 1989 pages 309-20 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.75-1981 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | August 18, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
