Found in the binding of a manuscript from the Abbey of Villeneuve, this stocking, a rare part of the liturgical clothing, uses silk form the 13th century, and has been connected with the cardinal Arnaud of Via (died 1335). A nephew of Pope John XXII, and protector of the abbey, he was a person very well known at the Papal court in Avignon.
The decoration of this piece consists of crowned gazelles leaning in pairs and looking at each other on each side of a palmette. A group of fantastic birds and some palmettes fill the space. Their heads, feet, certain flowers and cartridges are enhanced with gold. Numerous examples of these gilded lampas are described in the inventories. An exceptional piece with the same design, but with yellow silk brocade instead of gold, is still preserved in the museum of the cathedral of Sens. Iconographically and technically, this kind of silk underlines the Moslem influence in Italian silk workshops.
