at parsimonious in her use of the precious
material.

Almost all ecclesiastical and royal ancient embroideries were
illuminated with golden grounds--golden outlines or golden flat
embroideries. Later still, raised gold thread work has imitated gilt
carvings or goldsmiths' jewellery; and we feel that it was at once
removed from its place as embroidery, and became an elaborate
imitation of what should belong to another craft.[329] Such
deviations from the proper office and motive of needlework are so
dangerously near to bad style and bad taste, that they always and
inevitably have fallen into disrepute.

_Part 4._

OPUS PULVINARIUM (_or cushion work_).

This "opus pulvinarium" is not only to be found in Oriental work, but
it has also survived in a very few fragments from Egypt.[330] One of
these, in the British Museum, is worked on canvas, in wool and flax;
another in a white shining thread, resembling asbestos, on linen or
fine canvas. They are regular "canvas" or "cross" stitches, and
therefore, under mediaeval nomenclature, would be classed as "opus
pulvinarium." This name must include all stitches in gold, silk, and
wool, whether Phrygian, Egyptian, or Babylonian in their origin,
excepting the flat and lace stitches (plate 41).

[Illustration: Pl. 41.
MOSAIC STITCHES.
1. Italian Pattern, sixteenth century. From Frida Lipperheide's
Musterbuch. 2. Scandinavian. Bock, i. taf. xi. 3. Egyptian.
From Auberville's "Tissus," p. 1.]

Semper's term, "mosaic" stitches, is a good one, as it covers all that
are relegated into patterns in small square spaces, counted by the
threads of the textile on which they are laid.[331] He believes that
the mosaic patterns and cross stitches in needlework preceded the
tesselated pavements, and formed their first motive, though the stitch
now refers itself back to the mosaic, at least in name.

It is remarkable that in Chaldea and Assyria there still exist some
ruined walls, which are adorned with pilasters, panels, and other
architectural forms, covered with some sort of encaustic, imitating
textile patterns.[332] The effect is produced by means of a kind of
mosaic work of small nails or wedges of baked clay, with china or
glazed coloured heads. These are inlaid into the unbaked clay or
earth, of which the walls are constructed, and while binding it
together, give the effect of the surface being hung with a material
which has a pattern worked all over in