When you start to analyse medieval goldwork in detail, you'll find all sorts of things that are not practised in modern goldwork embroidery. One of these is the use of madder (Rubia tinctoria), a red pigment to colour the embroidery linen in those areas that get covered with goldthreads. How widespread the use of this pigment was is difficult to say. Its use can only be observed when an embroidery is damaged. However, as it is not present on each damaged embroidery the use of madder was not a necessity. As far as I know, the madder was first chemically identified on pieces from the Schnütgen Museum. The reason given by Sporbeck for its use is that the inferior quality of the membrane gold used in Germany needed this reddish base to enhance its shininess. She falsely concludes that the use of madder is probably unique to embroideries made in Cologne. However, the madder can be found under Dutch embroideries also. It was probably simply used to prevent the white linen to shine through the golden backgrounds stitched with geometric diaper patterns. Especially when patterns with larger intervals between the individual couching stitches were used, the goldthreads may gape and reveal the white linen. The colour red enhances the shine of the gold and tricks our eyes into believing that the background is whole and smooth. But how was the madder applied?
As the madder is only applied on those areas of the embroidery linen that later get covered with goldthread, the medieval embroiderers did not simply use madder dyed embroidery linen. I think this has to do with the silk embroidery. The red background colour might interfere with the very light silk used in the faces. In order to be able to only use the red colour in certain areas the person who drew or printed the design onto the embroidery linen must have used a paint-like substance. What binding agent was used to turn madder powder into paint?
In the above FlossTube with the Acipictrix video, you'll see me experimenting with different binding agents. Whilst madder powder is hydrophobe and does not dissolve well in water, you can actually stain your embroidery linen just enough to get rid of the stark white. The binding agent that has worked best so far is linseed oil. You'll need 1/8 teaspoon of madder powder and 1 teaspoon of linseed oil to get a paint-like substance that adheres well to the linen without excess madder powder sitting loosely on top of the fabric. This shows that the pigment is very economical in its use. Both madder and linseed were common, inexpensive and local products.
The one thing that bugs me about the use of oil as the binding agent is that it seeps into the embroidery linen. This was apparently a common problem for painters too. In the reconstruction of the Nachtwacht by Rembrandt, the modern painters had the same problem. The canvas kept sucking up the linseed oil paints. They remedy this problem the same way the people in Rembrandt's workshop would have done: by drenching the canvas in more linseed oil. However, this would not have been necessary for the medieval goldwork embroideries. They were completely covered with embroidery and the 'halos' of seeped oil would simply not be visible.
When I had found my preferred recipe for the madder paint and applied it to my embroidery linen, I was amazed that you can easily stitch on it. It does not feel oily and it does not seem to interfere with either your silken couching thread or with the goldthreads. I have no idea how long the 'halo' stays visible. It is difficult to see if there is a halo on the damaged goldwork embroideries (explore: ABM t2007, ABM t2107a, ABM t2121b, ABM t2147, ABM t2149, ABM t2158 & OKM t156a). However, in the picture above, you do see some staining on the back of ABM t2107f. This might be the result of the oil used as a binding agent.
Just a word of caution: If you would like to experiment with making your own madder paint with linseed oil, be careful. Linseed oil generates heat when it dries. Under the right circumstances, it can combust and cause a fire. Always let fabrics drenched in linseed oil dry completely before you throw them in the bin. Literature Leeflang, M., Schooten, K. van (Eds.), 2015. Middeleeuwse Borduurkunst uit de Nederlanden. WBOOKS, Zwolle. Sporbeck, G., 2001. Die liturgischen Gewänder 11. bis 19. Jahrhundert. Sammlungen des Museum Schnütgen 4. Museum Schnütgen, Köln.
12 Comments
Marina Berts
31/1/2022 15:51:11
How interesting! I haven't had time to watch your video yet, but I look forward to discovering your samples and the tests you've been making. Thank you for sharing with us!
Reply
31/1/2022 16:04:27
I am not sure if the linseed oil is indeed the binding agent they used, but it sure does work better than water :).
Reply
Ann
31/1/2022 16:17:04
Hi. How is it that you can tell if madder is used only when the embroidery is damaged?
Reply
31/1/2022 16:20:09
When the embroidery is undamaged, with no gaping of the goldthreads, the embroidery fabric is completely covered. You can then not determine what that embroidery fabric looks like underneath the embroidery.
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NancyB
31/1/2022 16:25:05
How very interesting. I'd like to share this with my colleagues in the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers if you don't mind. They might have some suggestions.
Reply
31/1/2022 16:28:47
Yes, please do share, Nancy! I am always open for more imput :). Regarding the egg: I have a feeling that it might interfere with the metal threads as their main component is not gold, but silver. Remember that taste and smell when you eat a boiled egg with a silver spoon?
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Nancy B
31/1/2022 18:25:06
And all this time I thought it was may failing tastebuds! No more silver spoons for me! ;-)
Barbara
31/1/2022 19:14:59
I have also heard about embroiderers using lamp oil (paraffin?) as a binder.
Reply
31/1/2022 19:37:01
As this product is made from crude oil, it is unlikely that it was known in medieval Western Europe.
Reply
1/2/2022 09:30:20
Yes, gold and red seem to be a common combination in medieval Europe. And we do know that the emperial workshops in the 11th-century employed a wide range of craftspeople. Goldsmiths, miniaturists and embroiderers all influenced each other in these creative hotbeds.
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Joyce Rowen
26/10/2024 20:44:22
I agree that a stronger alcohol may work (were distilleries available?) but have you tried using chalk/calcium carbonate as a binder/mordant for madder? Just a thought following your talk to the UK Embroiderers' Guild...
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