Russian Medieval Embroidery art
St. Sergius of Radonezh and Scenes from His Life. Pall. 1671. Detail. Donated by Anna Ivanovna Stroganova
Russian Medieval Embroidery art of the I5th – I7th centuries have unsurpassed historic and artistic value. The collection of Sergiev Posad Museum, which is in the old city of Sergiyev Posad in Moscow region, founded in 15th century, presents various figurative and ornamental compositions embroidered in multicolored silks, gold and silver thread and pearls. It acquaints with an original sphere of Russian medieval art, which had much in common with icon-painting and folk art. The embroidered items were greatly appreciated and carefully preserved: icon-cloths, palls and shrouds, icons, ancient books and church vessels of precious metals.
St. Sergius of Radonezh. Pall. 1581. Detail. Donated by Tsar Ivan the Terrible and Tsarina Maria Nagaya
The embroideries were produced in special workshops. Well-trained needlewomen worked there. The workshop was usually supervised by the lady of the house – boyarynia, princess, tsarina, who was often a skilful embroiderer herself. Since the I5th century the leading place belonged to the Grand Prince workshops, which since the mid-l6th century were called “tsarina’s chambers”. The collection of icon-embroidery of the first half of the 15th – early 16th century is most comprehensive. It was the time when icon-painting flourished in Russia as the result of general revival of Russian lands. Icon-painting led to the reinforcement of pictorial nature in embroidery as well.
1674. Detail. Donated by Princess Anna Vasilyevna Cherkasova
Aer and two purificators. St. Petersburg. 1795. Donated by Empress Catherine II
‘Agnus Dei’. Aer. The first half of the 15th century
Church Feasts and Saints. Icon-cloth. 1499. Donated by Grand Princess Sophia Paleologus
Epigonation. The Resurrection of Christ. Moscow The first three decades of the 18th century. Donated by Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1730
Epitrachelion. Mid-17th century. Vexillum. 1667.
Great Martyrs Catherine, Anna and Paraskeva. Icon. Moscow. 1731
Icon-cloth. The Appearance of the Virgin to St. Sergius of Radonezh. 1525
Icon-cloth. The Virgin of the Sign. Late 15th century
Pall. The Crucifixion. 1514
Phelonion. 1630s
Phelonion. Last quarter of the 17th century. Detail
Phelonion. St. Petersburg. Mid-18th century (before 1757).
Sakkos. Russia. 19th century. Belonged to Filaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna
Shroud. The Entombment. Early 15th century
St. Sergius of Radonezh. Pall. 1420s
Sticharion. 1635, 1646
The Appearance of the Virgin to St. Sergius. Pall. 1567. Detail
The Burial of St. Anna. Icon-cloth. Second half of the 15th century
The Crucifixion and Selected Saints. Purificator. Mid-15th century
The Crucifixion. Purificator. Late 15th century.Donated by Grand Princess Sophia Paleologus
The Entombment and Feasts. Shroud. Late 15th century
The Entombment. Shroud. 1561. Detail. Donated by prince Vladimir Andreyevich Staritsky and his mother Yefrosinya
The Entombment. Shroud. 1798. The Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. Embroidered by P.Ya. Shatilova
The Golgotha Cross. Icon-cloth. 1550. Donated by tsarina Anastasia Romanovna
The Golgotha Cross. Pall. 1557
The Golgotha Cross. Pearl icon-cloth. 1599. Donated by tsar Boris Feodorovich Godunov
The Trinity of Old Testament And Church Feasts. Purificator. Second half of the 15th century
