ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History   /  book reviews
 
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Die Stiftungen der Isabella Clara Eugenia
Domschatzkammer Aachen, Aachen 2000

by Monica Vroon, Regina Urbanek
text in german, 44 p., 14 coloured and 6 black and white photos. no ISBN-No
A.W.:
A small booklet was published on religioius embroideries of the Aachen Schatzkammer, since most of them had to go back into a shrine after the summers pelgrimage of the year 2000. During the last 14 years the shrine had been conservated .
A commemorative tablet of 1629 in the Aachen Cathedral refers to the donation of Isabella Clara Eugenia.

Born in 1566 Isabella Clara Eugenia was the eldest daughter of Philipp 2nd who reigned over Spain, parts of Italy, Burgundy, Netherlands. After the death of her brother she and her sister were heiresses of this kingdom. In 1598 Isabella married her cousin Albrecht of Austria, they had no children. Albrecht died in 1621. Isablla visited Aachen in the year 1627.

The fabrics donated by Isabella serve as covers for the Doms 4 major relics.
These relics are: the costume of Mary, the diaper of Jesus, the cloth in which the head of John was wrapped, and the loin-cloth of Christ. They are preserved in the Shrine of Mary which is being opened every 7 years. During 10 days the relics are shown to the prilgrims.

portrait of Isabella Clara Eugenia
Bursa, ornamented with gold embroidery and pearls
 
Every relic is first wrapped in a silk fabric and then enclosed in 2 Bursas. The silk cloths measure around 93 x 125 cm and they are embroidered. The Bursas are ornamented with gold embroidery and pearls.
The embroideries were most probably made in Brussels at the court of Isabella Clare Eugenia between 1627 and 1629.

 

Besides of these textiles for the relics there is an embroidered costume for the statue of Mary and another for a statue of Jesus.
see also Newsletter 15
home   content Last revised January 20, 2001 For further information contact Anne Wanner wanner@datacomm.ch