

The Dukes of Burgundy did not have a permanent residence. The shepherd’s staff stands for uprightness in justice.

This miniature presents the personification of righteousness via the mythical figure of Paris. The second part is dedicated to Jacob’s fleece and is about the virtue of ‘righteousness’. The first part was about the virtue of ‘courage’ and covers the story of Jason and the Argonauts. It was to become six parts, always with one of the six ‘fleeces’ in the middle.: that from Greek mythology and the five from the Old Testament (Judges 6v34-38 Genesis 30v32 2 Kings 3v4 Job 31v20, and Psalm 72/71v6). Under Charles the Bold he wrote a work about the virtues of the order. Guillaume Fillastre was the second chancellor of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Amongst other things, they found one in the Old Testament history of Gideon, who was given a sign from God via the appearance of dew on a fleece of wool (Judges 6v37).

The hero tales of Jason and the Argonauts fitted in with a new form of chivalry which the Order of the Golden Fleece adopted.ĭue to the strong Christian impact of the order, the members later searched in the Bible for references to a ‘fleece’. The myth played an important part in life at the Burgundian Court from the end of the 14th century. The incunabulum of the Bruges printer Colard Mansion, kept in the Biekorf Public Library in Bruges, shows a wood carving of the fight between Jason and the bulls, one of his assignments in order to obtain the golden fleece. The Roman poet Ovid wrote down the story in his ‘Metamorphoses’. Thanks to the help of Medea, Jason accomplishes his mission.
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With his ship the Argo, he led a group of men, the Argonauts, to Colchis, where he had to capture the golden fleece, the skin of a ram. Another story relates to the blond hair of Mary van Crombrugghe, the most well known of his twenty-four mistresses.Ī more obvious answer is the reference to Jason, a hero from ancient Greek mythology. One far-fetched account is the allusion to the red hair of Philip the Good’s wife, Isabella of Portugal. Much has been written about the source of the Order of the Golden Fleece’s name. The components were made by order of Philip the Good and were later donated to the order. The details and development equate to painting from that time. The Paraments formed a highlight in 15th century textile art. The crowns of Mary and Catherine are also set with pearls and with coloured glass stones. The edges of the cloth are highlighted with real pearls. This is a fragment from an altar cloth with the presentation of ‘The mystical marriage of St Catherine’. The Paraments are of high quality and are embroidered with precious materials such as gold and silk. The eight Paraments of the Order of the Golden Fleece together form a complete set of equipment for a celebratory high mass in the Roman Catholic Church. Paraments are textile items which serve as adornment of an altar or clothing for the clergy. The clergy who are present wear stunning robes.Īn impressive liturgical ensemble from the 15th century are the so called ‘Paraments of the Order of the Golden Fleece’. The portrait was made after his death and shows few similarities with the official portraits which were painted during his lifetime.ĭuring chapter meetings, church buildings are furnished with expensive tapestries displaying the emblems of the order. The miniature with the portrait of Charles the Bold in the regalia of the Golden Fleece comes from a manuscript with the statutes and armorial bearings of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The clothing worn by the order members is known via descriptions and via images in documents such as manuscripts. During the third day, a celebratory mass is celebrated in honour of Mary, also a patron of the order, and members wear red and white. On the second day, the order remembers deceased members, so the members dress in black mourning clothes. The members of the order wear red vestments on that day. On the first day, the feast day of Andrew (30 November), Patron Saint of Burgundy and patron of the order, a mass is celebrated for this saint. The ecclesiastical ceremonies are spread over three days.
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There is a different dress code for each occasion. During chapter meetings, members wear ceremonial outfits and insignia.
