Garment of Queen Bathild
Date:
ca. 680
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
France
Dimensions:
117 × 84 cm
Description:
This tunic-like linen garment with silk embroidery is traditionally associated with the Merovingian queen Bathild (d. 680/1). Its representations of necklaces with pendants and a gemmed pectoral cross deliberately evoke Byzantine necklaces and crosses. Bathild was a slave who became the wife of King Clovis II, and her garment demonstrates the Merovingians' familiarity with, and desire to emulate, signs of wealth at the Byzantine court.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
4
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about Bathild and her garment on Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index.
• For more views of the garment, visit the Kornbluth Photography website.
Image Credits:
Genevra Kornbluth
