Corals, Blood and Precious Pearls: The Materiality of a Late Medieval Textile

This article undertakes an object-focused study of an embroidery of great visual and material complexity: The Bremnes Orphrey. Medieval embroideries were known for their rich and expressive materiality with costly silks, shimmering metal threads, precious stones and pearls. This was especially true for ecclesiastical textiles adorning the altar and clothing the clergy. Thus, ecclesiastical embroideries are particularly suited for material analysis inspired by the material turn' in medieval scholarship over the last few decades. More specifically, I intend to highlight the interplay between iconography and materiality in late medieval art.