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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Opus Anglicanum

I started looking at this at the beginning of the year but very quickly realised that researching on the internet was not going to be enough as the photographs there didn't give me any idea of the intricacies of the actual articles.  So I waited until this July when I was in the UK and could view some of them for myself at the V&A in London.  Despite travelling from the other side of the world, the rest of the family only allowed me 25 minutes in the V&A so given that, I'm quite pleased with the details I could glean and photograph!

1.1 I've presented my research on six A4 boards that are connected and hinged into the form of a cross akin to the Marnhull Orphrey on display in the museum.

1.1 Opus Anglicanum folded book
I've photographed each of the 6 boards separately so that you should be able to read the detail if you want to.

1.2 Introduction and pattern drawings

1.3 The Syon Cope

1.4 The Marnhull Orphrey (1)

1.5 The Marnhull Orphrey (2)

1.6 The Clare Chasuble

1.7 The Butler-Bowdon Cope
Once all the boards are folded in on themselves you can see the cover.


The boards are hinged using double cloth tape and with inserted board strips to create spines when the bulk requires.  The cover is a dark red velvet with a bronze silk dupioni name (and despite the photograph it really does say opus and not 'pus'!!).  The metallic thread embroidery copies one of the patterns found on the Clare Chasuble.

1 comment:

Maggie said...

A very impressive piece of research Helen...it's amazing what you did from 25 minutes at the V & A, Maggie