CLOTH OF GOLD

“ In sanguin and in perse he clad was, alleLined with taffeta and with sendalle.”

Sarcenet. —Since the 15 th century, cendal has been described assarcenet.

Satin is a glossy silken fabric, first mentioned in Englishinventories during the 14th century, and Chaucer speaks of it in hisMan of Law's Tale :

“ Clothes of gold and satins rich of hewe.”

Camoca, or camak, is mentioned in the inventories of the14th century, for church vestments and the draperies of bedsof state. Edward the Black Prince bequeaths to his confessor “ alarge bed of red camoca.” This material was probably of finecamels’ hair and silk, made in Northern China (page 39).

Cloth of Tars, or Tarsus, is a similar fabric to camoca, but richerin colour, being a royal purple. Chaucer tells us of the “ King ofInde ” that “ his cole armure was a cloth of Tars couched with perles.”

Cloth of gold. —Gold had been used from remote times as amaterial for weaving, either alone, or interwoven with linen, silk,or cotton.

The Asiatic kings and nobles of the time of Alexander theGreat wore robes splendid with gold and purple. Quintus Curtius,the historian, describes the dress worn by Darius thus: “ The waistpart of the royal purple tunic was woven in white, and upon hismantle of cloth of gold were figured two golden hawks, as if peckingat one another with their beaks.”

Of its early use, without any other material for weaving, Plinysays, “ Gold may be spun or woven like wool, without any woolbeing mixed with it.”

Some indication is given of the sumptuousness of the apparel ofImperial Rome, in the record that Agrippina, the wife of theEmperor Claudius, wore a robe woven entirely of gold.

The wife of the Emperor Honorius died about A.D. 400, and in1544 her grave was opened and the remains of the golden tissues,in which her body had been shrouded, were melted, and it amountedto thirty-six pounds of gold.

These early tissues of gold were undoubtedly the products ofAsiatic looms, whilst at a later date they were woven in Cyprus,Sicily, Lucca, Venice, and Southern Germany.

There is no doubt that some narrow cloths of gold were wovenupon the English looms of the 14th century, but the largerpieces of this material in use during this period were from theCyprian or Lucchese looms.

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