The publication, published to accompany an exhibition of objects from the collection, includes essays on its history and on the meaning and value attached to peasant art at the beginning of the 20th cent.

ISBN 18 5177 309 6
£ 25.-
112 coloured photographs

the chapters of the book are:
1. samplers in the museum's collection
2. list of plates
3. the plates
4. stitches and techniques
5. glossary with diagrams and explanations
6. select bibliography

Embroidered samplers from the outstanding collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum provide both a historical survey of this popular needlework art and a practical guide to the different types of stitches.
Details of individual motifs are shown alongside full colour photographs of the complete samplers while stitch types and techniques are explained through photographic details and clear line drawings.
Samplers provides a gallery of some of the most important and beautiful pieces in the V&A and an opportunity to see in close-up fragile objects which by their nature cannot remain on permanent display or to be seen in strong light.

The stories are told of various girls and their samplers, beginning with one born in 1750 and ending with one who lived through almost the whole of the 20^th century.
Samplers for special occasions are covered and so are articles of regional costume on which sampler motifs were embroidered.
Since the book was compiled in the context of aconsideration project carried out in 1997-8, there is a final chapter on the conservation and framing of samplers.

Soieries en Sacristie
Fastes liturgiques, 17e – 18e c.
par Christine Aribaud, Paris 1998

Text in French, 199 pages on every page one or several colour photographs
ISBN 2-85056-337-4

Reported by A.W.
The musée Paul Dupuy in Toulouse was founded in 1949, its aim is the exploration of all the kinds of art in Toulouse and in its surroundings.
Christine Aribaud was commissioned to form an exhibition on religious textiles and to write a catalogue. This exhibition on vestments of rural parishes in the region of Toulouse and its surroundings took place from 26^th october to 31^th january 1999.

In the first chapter the author treats the Concile of Trient and its consequences for Toulouse. After his stay in Italy the archbishop of Toulouse convoke the 14^th concile of Toulouse which established the resolutions of Trient.

Chapter 4 treats the embroidery craft of Toulouse thoroughly. Since medieval times the corporation of the embroiderers was joint to the one of painters and sculptors. Since June 7^th 1505 the embroiderers had their own corporation. Later on they united with the goldsmiths. It is known that Nicolas Escudier set up the regulations between the end of the 16^th and the beginning of 17^th c. He became master embroiderer in 1604.
Unfortunately these regulations have not been found up to the present day. There are other descriptions which mention an apprenticeship but they do not tell its duration. For the right to become a master in 1621 there had to be paid „sept soulz six deniers" and in 1649 „15 sous".

In Toulouse it exists a „libre des Mestiers" since 1596 and here registrations of masters of embroidery have been found. In particular names are listed and therefore it is possible to give a chronological list of embroiderers: From 1600 to 1625 there were 25 masters, from 1650 to 1700 there were 13 masters, from 1700 to 1750 there were 3 masters and from 175o to 1790 there were 3 masters. Moreover from 18^th c. there have been found a great number of executed embroideries.

As a speciality a calice veil of Saint-Lizier is preserved, worked by the embroiderer Manaud Troy.
He was born 1574 in Castaignac close to Saint-Ybars. He was married on June first 1604 to Benoise du Roy the widow of master embroiderer Henry du Roy. In 1606 he became embroidery master himself and one year later „bayle brodeur". Some more events concerning Manaud Troy are known: In 1618 he enrolled an apprentice and in 1635 he embroidered a cope for Bruno de Ruade, bishop of Saint-Lizier. It is a late works of his, he died on february 4^th 1639. In his family there are several embroiderers, for instance Pierre Troy the son of his brother, who became an embroiderer in 1639. It may be him who installed in 1639 in Carmes. Maurice Troy, Pierre Troy‘s son, became master in 1716.

Church vestments were also adorned by nuns. Very rich work is known of the Carmelits at Lecoutre or of the Augustins in Lisle-sur-Tarn. Specially these embroideries are inspired by botanical designs

Chapter 6 deals with the fashion in patterns of fabrics. There are no special religious pattern and priests ordered the most modern design. Identical designs can be found today in a damasc in the royal palace of Madrid. Some other designs show the general tendencies of the time. Reports of the years 1739-1743 show that in Tours velours was woven in the manner of Genova. In 1740 the italian Giuseppe Solary settled in Tours and in 1744 the name of the manufacture was:
„Manufacture Royale de damas façon de Gênes".
Other patterns clearly show inspiration of the ornamentists of the time:
Jean Bérain‘s design can be found in the chasuble of Montpezat de Quercy.
Jean Pillement (1728-1808) inspired a chaperon of the chasuble in the musée Pasul Dupuy.
Jean Revel who introduced since 1732 the technique of „points rentrées", also inspired
patterns.
In the field of lace there is no distinction between religious and secular design. Lace can be used as borders of albs or altar hangings. In the 17^th c. it is used every where in men‘s costume.
The church never opposed against fashion fabrics and priesthood received some cultural importance.

As a conclusion the author informs about her inquiry in the parishes about the preservation of church vestments, and whether vestments should rather be kept in Museums collections. She points out the dangers which rests upon this estate. The preservation of vestments in possession of rural parishes is not always easy. In many cases the conditions are perfect and the priests are well aware of their responsibility but there is little time and no money to really take care of this estate. Sometimes vestments are kept in drawers which are swollen by humidity. In this way they may become victims of neglect.

In the catalogue there are listed: religious textiles, secular objects and non textiles objects. Among the 31 chalice veils there are 6 embroidered examples and most of these veils belong to a whole set of vestment. Embroidered are two altar frontals (end of 16^th and beginning of 18^th c.), 2 shrines (17^th c., and a coat of arms (19^th c.)

Anne Morell is the author of ten books and of many articles on hand and machine embroidery. She is a free-lance embroiderer, consultant and teacher who has long been interested in the embroidered textiles of India. Since 1994 she has been a consultant at the Calico Museum of textiles.

From existing scant literature about domestic specialised workshops for the manufacture of church textiles the weavers’ guilds in Dubrovnik can be pointed out. The renowned weaver Wolfgang Jacob Stoll from Ingolstadt worked in Zagreb in the middle of the 17th c. Besides there existed the work of the Pauline workshops and especially the convent centres of the Benedictine nuns in Rijeka, the Ursuline nuns in Zadar and the sisters of Mercy in Zagreb.
High quality work was done by the Ursuline nun Mater Michaela Karba and the sister of Mercy Ksaverija Skuba.