Æthelwynn

Æthelwynn, often spelled Ethylwynn, Ethylwyn, or Ethelwynn (10th-century) was an English noblewoman and textile artist. She was known for her embroidery work and her encounter with Saint Dunstan.[1]

According to Saint Dunstan's biographer, Æthelwynn asked him to help her make a design for a stole for religious use that had various figured patterns, and which she planned to later decorate with gold and precious stones.[2] The stole embellished by Æthelwynn has since vanished.[3] According to the Biography of Saint Dunstan, when he went to visit Æthelwynn he took his lyre (which has also been described as a harp) with him, in order to play it in between working.[1] According to legend, he hung the lyre on the wall and it miraculously played by itself; upon hearing this, Dunstan, Æthelwynn, and all her work women who were present, "were seized with dread and, altogether forgetful of the work in their hands, they stared at each other in amazement.”[1]

Legacy

The story of Æthelwynn and Saint Dunstan offers insight into the relationships between commissioner, designer, and craftsperson in the production of textiles.[4] She is a unique example, as it was common not to seek original designs for embroidery work.[5]

References
  1. Stenton, F. M. (1965). The Bayeux tapestry; a comprehensive survey. London: Phaidon Press. p. 43.
  2. Karkov, Catherine E.; Damico, Helen, eds. (2008). Aedificia Nova: Studies in Honor of Rosemary Cramp. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications. p. 141. ISBN 9781580441100.
  3. Dodwell, C. R. (1993). The pictorial arts of the West, 800-1200 (1. publ. ed.). New Haven: Yale Univ. Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0300053487.
  4. Karkov, Catherine E.; Damico, Helen, eds. (2008). Aedificia Nova: Studies in Honor of Rosemary Cramp. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications. ISBN 9781580441100.
  5. Gardiner, Dorothy (1929). English girlhood at school. pp. 29–30.


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