
St. Lucy
Purchased on the Belle da Costa Greene Fund with the assistance of the Fellows, 1963
Lucy holds a martyr's palm and a book in chemise binding. Her neck is pierced by a sword, by which she met her death after having been miraculously delivered from two other fates: prostitution and burning. Aptly, she is the patron of those who suffer from sore throats. A chain of silver and gold fills the surrounding border, the flat gold charms of which are inscribed Lucie virginis (Lucy the Virgin). The silver pieces echo the shapes of the petal within the rosettes embroidered on the textile backdrop, but it is unclear how they may relate to the story of Lucy.