De hädangångnas heraldik : En studie av broderade begravningsfanor ca 1670-1720

Sammanfattning: In 17th century Europe the ceremonies of royalty and high nobility formed elaborate displays of extravagance. The aim of this thesis is to bring new knowledge about function, form and meaning of ceremonial textiles in Sweden during the so called Era of Greatness. The investigation can be described as an applied study, in this case on a group of white embroidered funeral flags used by male members of the Swedish high nobility c. 1670–1720. The study aims to portray a textile craft and its artisans, as well as the deceased men, their families and contemporary society.The funeral ceremony functioned as an arena for manifestations of power and social rank. With heraldic images embroidered with gold and silver thread the noble titles of the deceased were displayed as a way of marking his position in the social elite. The symbolic value of the flags was reinforced by their form, style and manner of execution. The results show that the flags followed a general ideal type where variations in décor were primarily related to the different noble titles. The flags can be associated with other types of flags, both military and civilian, in aspects of décor and trimmings. They also show parallel traits with coats of arms made of carved and painted wood. Objects in both categories suggest a change in style around 1680, which can be linked to a change in the embroidery technique.The flags were made by professional embroiderers and the study includes an investigation of their trade. An attempt to view the relationship between gender and professionalism is also made. The study further investigates the differences between general and individual application of the embroidery technique. The study has shown that factors such as scale, motif and object category influenced the execution.