ul mantle of the Virgin
in silver and pearls upon a gold ground, which make one loth to
dogmatise.

[Illustration: 68. RAISED GOLD.]

The preciousness of gold and silver, points, in the nature of things, to
their use for church vestments and the like; and high relief gives, no
doubt, value to the metal; but the consideration of its intrinsic
value leads quickly to display. The artistic value of gold is not so
much that it looks gorgeous as that it glorifies the colour caught, so
to speak, in its meshes.

Admitting that there is reason for relief in gold embroidery--it catches
the light as flat gold does not--one feels that the very slightest
modelling is usually enough. Reference was made (page 136) to the effect
of gilt gesso obtained in raised gold thread: that really is about the
degree of relief it is safe to adopt in gold embroidery, the relief that
is readily got by laying on gesso with a brush, not carving or modelling
it; and the characteristically blunt forms got by that means repeat
themselves when you work with the needle.

There is ample relief in the gold embroidery on Illustrations 68 and 86.
The first of these shows both flat and raised work: the latter
illustrates not only various degrees of relief, but several ways of
underlaying. It scarcely needs pointing out that the flatter serrated
leaves are worked over parchment or paper, and the puffy parts of the
flowers over softer padding. Allusion has already been made (page 159)
to the way the stalk is worked over twisted cords, as on the sampler,
Illustration 66. The patterns in which the gold is worked do not tell
quite so plainly here as on Illustration 68, where the basket pattern is
more pronounced. In the stalk there flat gold wire is used, and again in
the broken surface towards the top of the plate.

SPANGLES of gold may be used with admirable effect, at the risk,
perhaps, of a rather tinselly look; but that has been often most
skilfully avoided both in mediaeval work and in Oriental. In India great
and very cunning use is made of spangles, by the Parsees in particular,
who, by the way, embroider with gold wire.

Gold foil may be cut to any shape and sewn on to embroidery, but
spangles take mainly one of two shapes, best distinguished as disc-like
and ring-like. The discs are flat, pierced in the centre, and sewn down
usually with two or three radiating stitches (A, Illustration 51, and
Illustration 67). The rings may be attached by a single