Were today not a Sunday it would be the feast day of St Henry, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, who died in 1024. This then is the 990th anniversary of the death of the last Ottonian Emperor, who was canonised in 1146.
There is an online account of his life and reign, including his camapignes in Italy and Poland as well as his extensive patromage of the Church at Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.
The artistic survivals from his reign are an indicator of the lavish, cultivated and beautiful Imperial and ecclesiastical court culture of the age.
Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, circa 1010, from the Imperial Sacramentary, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich
Image:portraittimeline.com
German coronation dalmatic of Emperor Henry II preserved at Bamberg
Image:pinterest.com
From the website Historical Needlework Resources there is something about another surviving textile from the Emperor's ceremonial wardrobe:
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This is the Sternenmantel of Heinrich II (or Star Mantle of Henry II) The Sternenmantel was presented to Henry by Duke Ismahel of Bari. It was donated to Bamberg Cathedral by either Henry II or his wife, St Kunigunde, and it was subsequently was used as a cope). The mantle is currently housed in the Bamberg Cathedral Treasury.
The Sternenmantel of Emperor Henry II
It was created using the stitches and techniques of surface couching, applied pearls and applique
The mantle is approx. 3m wide and 1.5m high. The embroidery depicts scenes from the Life of Christ as well as celestial bodies. There are fourteen medallions containing figures. The design elements are worked in fine couched gold thread on violet silk twill. There is some coloured silk work (white, red, blue and green). Some of the figures have elements worked in stem stitch. The mantle is believed to be of Southern German manufacture.[I am not sure how that coheres with assertion that it was the gift of the Duke of Bari - JRPW]
In 1503 the embroidered elements were cut away and remounted on
the current Italian silk damask. Therefore, the original placement of
the motifs on the mantle is unknown. There are futher links at
- Kaiser Heinrich II Exhibition
- Mantle of Kaiser Heinrich II
- Mantle of Kaiser Heinrich II
- Mantle of Kaiser Heinrich II
- Mantle of Kaiser Heinrich II
Detail of applique motif from the Sternenmantel of Emperor Henry II
Images :medieval.webcom.net.au
Later in date, but linked to the canonised Emperor, is the later medieval so-called Crown of St Henry II. This is a reliquary crown, which belonged to the reliquary of the Emperor in Bamberg cathedral. This was presumably like that of Charlemagne at Aarchen or the one in Prague of St Weneslas which was topped off with the surviving Crown of St Wenceslas. After the process of German Mediatisation Bamberg passed into the Kingdom of Bavaria and the new ru[ers took the crown to the treasury of the Munich Residenz, where it still can be seen.
This lily crown consists of six plates which are joined together by hinges fixed with pins. Each of the plates carries a large fleur-de-lis. The pins are surmounted by praying angels standing on acanthus leaves. Four of the segments and all of the fleur-de-lis are adorned with precious stones while two carry antique cameos. The decoration of the frame with foliage work seems to be of later date than the frame itself. Due to fitting slots on the front and back segments it is possible to add an imperial arch and cross to the frame. One theory is that the crown was made for the reliquary in the fourteenth century but it may also be a crown of the Emperor Frederick II (d.1250) which came into the possession of Bamberg cathedral through the Emperors Henry VII and Louis IV the Bavarian.
The Crown of St Henry
Image:Wikipedia
Another view of the crown which illustrates the angels and foliage details
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