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Heraldic tapestry

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Tapestry with the Armorial Bearings and Badges of John Dynham, 1st Baron of Dynham, c.1487-1501, Souther Netherlands, wool and silk, 12 ft. 8 in. x 12 ft. 1 in., inv. no. 60.127.1, The Cloisters Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A wool and silk tapestry manufactured in the Southern Netherlands exists in The Cloisters Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York that illustrates Lord Dynham's armorial bearings and heraldic badges set against a millefleurs backdrop.[1][2][3] The tapestry was made after Lord Dynham's election as a knight to the Order of the Garter in 1487,[3] as the blue emblem of the Garter has been included in the panel. The weaving comprises the following inscribed motto: hony soit qui male y pense (typically spelled: Honi soit qui mal y pense), serving as a terminus a quo for the dating of the tapestry.[4] The tapestry could not have been ordered after 1501, the year of his death, and also functions as a terminus post quem. Scholars believe it was commissioned between 1487 and 1501.[4] It is possible that this panel was ordered from the Tournai tapestry dealers Pasquier Grenier and his son, Jean Grenier.[5][4] They supplied tapestries to King Henry VII in 1486 and 1488.[4]

On September 22, 1486, King Edward IV of England ordered his then Treasurer, Lord Dynham to grant Pasquier, his son Jean, and their workers protection and licenses to import tapestries, and other textile objects into England.[6][7][8][9] Two years later, in 1488, King Edward permitted Jean Pasquier to import into the country, duty free, altar cloths and tapestries, and according to Bonnie (1962) Dinham may have ordered one for himself at the same time.[5][4]

The central image of the tapestry is an escutcheon in the shape of a jousting tournament targe surrounded by a blue Garter.[4] The coat of arms represented is that of the Dynhams of Devonshire and has been described as canting arms, since the two harts likely served as a visual reference to Hartland Abbey, one of the family's oldest possessions.[10] The two harts rampant support the central a coat of arms with their forehooves.[4] The complete achievement of the coat of arms is described as: "on a chapeau, upturned gules ermine, an ermine statant between two lighted candles proper."[4]

Two more coats of arms appear in the upper corners of the tapestry. The one in the upper left corner is a repeat of the one seen in the center and is also surrounded by the Garter.[4] By contrast, the one in the upper right corner is different in that in the dexter half of the shield has the the arms of Dynham (four lozenges ermine)[11] and on the sinister side: "impaling the arms of Arches, which are gules, three arches argent" and is again enclosed by the Garter[4] Scholars believe that this shield in the upper right represents the arms of Lord Dynham's parents.[4][12]

The family badge of the Dynhams was the head of a hart, again in allusion to Hartland Abbey.[13] Lord Dynham's personal badge comprises: "a topcastle of a warship, broken at the mast, with five javelins resting inside the structure against the railing, and flying a swallow-tailed pennant with red and white streamers and a cross of Saint George next to the staff" and is repeated eleven times throughout the millefleurs ground, which was originally dark green, but appears blue today.[4] Most scholars agree that the badge of the topcastle is a reference to Lord Dynham's naval career spanning the reign of five English Kings (from Henry VI to Henry VII) and is perhaps symbolized by the five javelins that rest inside the topcastle.[4]

The tapestry has been cut down on all four sides, and it is thought that around 48 inches of it were cut from the bottom portion, so that the original panel would have been closer to 16.5-17 feet in height.[4]

  1. ^ Nickel, Helmut. "Some Remarks on the Armorial Tapestry of John Dynham at The Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum Journal 19/20" (PDF). Cloisters Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ref: 60.127.1. pp. 25–29. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  2. ^ See also: Young, Bonnie, John Dynham and His Tapestry, MMAB, n.s. 20, June 1962, pp.309-316
  3. ^ a b "Tapestry with Armorial Bearings and Badges of John, Lord Dynham | South Netherlandish". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Cavallo, Adolph S. (1993). Medieval tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: H. N. Abrams. pp. 272–277, cat. no. 16. ISBN 978-0-87099-644-3.
  5. ^ a b Nickel, p.27, with reference to Bonnie, 1962
  6. ^ McKendrick, Scot (2003), "Grenier, Pasquier", Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t034851, retrieved 2023-09-13
  7. ^ Lestocquoy, J. (1978). Deux siècles de l'histoire de la Tapisserie 1300-1500: Paris, Arras, Lille, Tournai, Bruxelles (in French). Arras: Mémoires de la Commission Départementale des Monuments Historiques du Pas-de-Calais. pp. 71–80.
  8. ^ Cavallo, Adolph S. (1993). Medieval tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: H. N. Abrams. pp. 58–59, 66–68, 70, 157, 166–170, 205, 242–243, 276, 583, figs. 61, 62. ISBN 978-0-87099-644-3.
  9. ^ Asselberghs, J. P. (1972). Les tapisseries tournaisiennes de la Guerre de Troie (in French). Brussels: Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire. pp. n.p.
  10. ^ Nickel, p.28
  11. ^ Four lozenges clearly visible, whilst some sources state the arms to show 5
  12. ^ Nickel, p.25
  13. ^ Nickel, p.29
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