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| silk brocade with gold thread in pomegranate pattern Italy 16th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
"The period from about 1400 to 1600 was one in which the weavers of the Italian peninsula, as well as Spain, excelled at producing spectacular patterned textiles. Today, the design most frequently associated with this period is the so-called pomegranate pattern composed of bold stylized floral and vegetal motifs that often resembled ripe pomegranate fruits, artichokes, or thistle blossoms. These fabrics appear in contemporary painting in a number of contexts that reveal their symbolic importance in addition to their actual usage. For example, single lengths of pomegranate-patterned fabric are often used as a cloth of honor hanging behind a seated Virgin and Child. They were also used as ecclesiastical vestments. Smaller pieces appear in secular portraits as part of fashionable dress, often made into sleeves or skirt panels."
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| linen embroidered with cupids and dolphins in silk Italy 16th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| velvet embroidered in multi-colored silks France ca. 1600-1650 Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| velvet embroidered in multicolored silks Italy 17th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| brocade woven with gold and silver thread Italy ca. 1615-35 Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| velvet embroidered in gold Italy 17th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| silk brocade woven with gold thread Spain ca. 1600-1650 Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| velvet appliqué on silk brocade ground Spain ca. 1500-1525 Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| velvet appliqué on silk grosgrain Spain 16th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| silver and gold embroidery on velvet ground Italy ca. 1575-1600 Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| satin appliqué on velvet ground Italy 16th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| gold and colored embroidery on velvet Italy 16th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| gold and colored embroidery on silk Italy 17th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| silk velvet embroidered with metal thread & sequins Russia 18th century Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |