Alb of William II of Sicily

Background

The precious silk gown was used at the coronations of the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. There are Latin and Arabic inscriptions on the edge of the broad hem at the bottom. These tell us that the robe was created in Palermo under King William II (1153/116-1189) in the year 1181. In 1194 the alb, along with the coronation robe (and the blue chasuble) was inherited by the Hohenstaufen dynasty and thus passed to the empire as part of the treasure of the Norman kings. Unlike the liturgical alb, the Alb was originally a royal outer garment.

Of particular importance, however, is the fact that on the Alb the embroidery on the cuffs executed in 1181 has been repaired, but the embroidery on the breast has been covered with younger embroidery executed around 1220.

Stitches and Techniques

• underside couching
• applied pearls
• surface couching

Design and Materials

The bottom border shows two motifs made in gold - pairs of confronted lions on white ground and pairs of confronted griffins on a purple ground fabric. Along the upper and lower border run a Latin and Arabic inscriptions indicating it was made for William II in the Royal Workshop of Sicily.

Materials included silk, gold wire embroidery, pearls, emeralds, saphires, amethysts, spinells, garnets, opals, 154 cm long, 127 cm wide at the hem.

Links

• The Alb of Sicilian Workshops
• Exhibition of the Secular Treasury at Kunsthistorisches Museum

Sources for Further Information

• Schuette, Marie and Muller-Christensen, Sigrid, The Art of Embroidery, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1964)

Detail of Alb showing bottom cuff

Images kindly provided by Prof Michael Greenhalgh

Detail of chest area of alb

Images kindly provided by Prof Michael Greenhalgh