Selected Articles from
The Gull Archives

If you would like to submit an article for The Gull, please contact the Chronicler.

Medieval Beadwork

By Mistress Catherine Lorraine of Stonegate Manor

The history of glass beads in medieval Europe (800 - 1400) is not clear. Archaeologists continue to fill in the gaps. Glass bead making in the Roman tradition did survive in various parts of Europe. Glass beads are known to have been made in Bohemia and Moravia (today provinces of Czechoslovakia) as early as the 10th century.

The manufacture of glass beads in Germany began in the later days of the Roman Empire and continued through medieval times. In 1279, records indicate that, Bavarian communities sent men to Venice to purchase glass cane.

Venice supplied quality glass cane to other European bead making centers as early as the 1200's. As a glass making center and mercantile power, Venice forced its glass makers to move to the island of Murano in 1291. This was to restrain them from taking their secrets elsewhere, as well as, to prevent the wooden buildings of the main part of the city from catching fire.

Elaborate medieval embroideries were often further enriched by the addition of pearls, precious and semi precious stones, gold or silver ornaments and enameled plaques and occasionally glass beads. Among the stones used were ruby, sapphire, emerald, turquoise, coral, garnet, amber, amethyst, and rock crystal. Also used were tiny golden tubes similar to our present day liquid gold beads.

The returning Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries, and the development of knightly orders had much to do with spreading a fondness for pearls in personal decoration. In the 13th and 14th centuries pearls were very fashionable as personal ornaments and' were worn in enormous quantities. Clothes of both men and women were decorated and embroidered with them and they were noted in nearly every account of festive occasions.

Tiny pearls were much used to form halos, birds and other decorative motifs. Together with a range of other larger pearls, some colored, originating from the East or from Scotland, they were frequently used upon festal or jousting garments at both the French and English courts.

Edward II had five hoods made of white cloth worked with blue dancing men and fastening at the front with buttons of large pearls. The hoods required 2350 large pearls along with velvet, silk and gold thread.

One extant example is the silk dalmatic from the Holy Roman Empire made in the Royal workshops of Roger II in Palermo in 1130 - 1140. It is of deep purple silk embellished with flower patterns outlined in pillow drilled pearls. The outlines are filled in with minute golden tubes and the cuff edge is trimmed by the use of large violin shaped enamel motifs.

Gloves of the Emperor Frederich II also from the Holy Roman Empire were worn by him at his coronation in 1220. They are made of red silk, gold embroidery in couched work. The back of the hand is richly adorned with pearls, rubies, sapphires and enameled plaques.

The alb of King William II of Sicily from 1181 has the cuff and lower borders are adorned with rich gold embroidery and pearls and precious stones.

An altar frontal of the Halberstadt Cathedral in lower Saxony was made during the second half of the 13th century and is now in the Cathedral Museum and has of bead embroidery on parchment and linen. Both coral and glass beads were used along with seed pearls and gilded plaques.

The mitre of Minden c. 1400 combines golden ornaments with embroidered figures and tiny seed pearls.

In the Victoria and Albert Museum there are panels from stoles embroidered on parchment with beads and seed pearls. Many of the beads are missing but it can be clearly seen that every feature is formed with beads. These panels were made in Germany in the late 12th century.

Bibliography:

Beads of the World by P. Francis Jr., pp 64.

The History of Beads: 30,000 to Present by Lois Sheer Dubin.

A Pictorial History of Embroidery by Marie Schuette and Sigrid Mueller-Christensen pp 40, 42, 43, 113,300, 301, 308.

Glass Beads From Europe by Sibylle Jargstorf pp 19-28.

The Book of the Pearl by George Frederick Kunz and Charles Hugh Stevenson pp 15-21.

Beadwork by Pamela Claaburn Shire Publication 57 pp 2, 4.

NOTE:

Copyright of each article belongs to the original author. Reproduction rights are not given by virtue of their appearance here.