Syon Cope
Opus anglicanum: English medieval embroidery in silk and gold, coveted by popes across Europe.
The cope was made in England in the early 14th century and belonged to the nuns of Syon Abbey, who took it with them into exile. English embroidery was then the most famous in Europe. It is in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Materials: Linen, silk, gold and silver thread
Manufacture: Faces and figures in fine split stitch in silk; the gold thread laid on the surface and secured from below (underside couching).
The faces worked in spirals of split stitch to model the cheeks.
The gold ground secured from beneath, so that it bends softly.