PALERMO PATTERNING

consists of symmetrically placed trees, birds, and animals, and isprobably the earliest extant example of this characteristic Sicilianfabric patterning.

The second period commenced during the reign of the NormanKing, Roger IT., who, in 1130, introduced many skilled weavers fromGreece and Byzantium, and enlarged the Imperial factory or Hotelde Tiras at Palermo.

Hugh Falcandus, writing in the 12th century, speaks of thisfamous weaving establishment:

“ It is impossible to pass over in silence the celebrated workshopin which silk is spun intodifferent coloured threads.

Here one can see stuffsmade of single, double, andthreefold thread, which areless expensive and requireless skill than those madewith sixfold thread, moreraw silk being used for themore substantial material.

“ Here fabrics are orna-mented with a circular de-sign, requiring for thisreason great skill and ahigh price. There are alsonumerous ornamental pat-terns of various kinds andcolours, woven in gold andsilk threads.”

This passage clearlyindicates that gold wasinterwoven with the silk,and that the circular roundels, which were very characteristic of theSassanian and Byzantine fabrics, were also a feature of the Palermopatterning of the 12th century.

This period was undoubtedly the most prolific and important ofany for the production of sumptuous patterned fabrics; the designsare characterised by a splendid vitality, beauty, and interest ofdesign, with perfect distribution and spacing. The patterns arecomposed of the palm and date trees, with their inflorescence,together with eagles, swans and ducks, lions, harts and dogssymmetrically placed. On plate 32 are three typical examples ofthis interesting period, and a fourth is given in fig. 26.

Si

wam/am

mmmm,

Fig. 25.—Chinese Weaving.

XIV Century.