Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

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Record Number: 27562 Author(s)/Creator(s): Garver , Valerie L. Contributor(s): Title: Weaving Words in Silk: Women and Inscribed Bands in the Carolingian World [The author analyzes three silk woven bands surviving from Carolingian Germany: Witgar’s belt, Ailbecunda band, and the Speyer band. Witgar’s belt was a gift from Emma, wife of King Louis the German, to Witgar, the future bishop of Augsburg. In these three cases women not only donated high-status silk inscribed bands, but evidence also points to women as weavers of the tablet bands. Title note supplied by Feminae.] Source: Medieval Clothing and Textiles 6, ( 2010): Pages 33 - 56. Description: Article Type: Journal Article Subject (See Also): Art History- Decorative Arts Bands Belts Ecclesiastical Vestments Gifts Inscriptions Patronage, Ecclesiastical Silk Textiles Weaving Women Artists Award Note: Geographic Area: Germany Century: 9- 10 Primary Evidence: Textile; 1) Augsburg, St. Afra Cathedral, Diözesanmuseum, the Witgar belt. Tablet-woven silk band probably used as a belt to fasten a priest’s alb. An inscription on the band identifies the donor and recipient, Emma and Witgar. Garver dates the belt to 858-860. 2) Augsburg, St. Afra Cathedral, Diözesanmuseum, the Ailbecunda band. Two fragments of tablet-woven red silk with the donor’s name inscribed. Garver dates it to the ninth century and places it in southern Germany. A later band of Islamic origin is attached to the smaller fragment. Together they were venerated as relics of the Virgin in later centuries. Illustrations: Six Figures. Figure One Detail of the Witgar belt inscription. Figure Two Fourteenth-century silver clasp of the Ailbecunda band. Figure Three Detail of the Ailbecunda band inscription. Figure Four Detail of the Speyer band inscription. Figure Five Detail of the first fragment of the Speyer band. Figure Six Three Carolingian silk tablet-woven bands with Latin inscriptions : the Witgar belt, the Alibecunda band, and the Speyer band [in color]. Table: Abstract: Related Resources: Author's Affiliation: Northern Illinois University Conference Info: - , - Year of Publication: 2010. Language: English ISSN/ISBN: 17445787

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