Lesson plan

Orphrey

created in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, National Museum in Warsaw An orphrey, also spelt orfrey or orfray, is a form of often highly detailed embroidery, in which typically simple materials are made into complex patterns. Orphreys are broad bands used on priests' albs and knights' robes. In 1182 and 1183 Henry II of England spent lavishly on orphreys. The word comes from Old French orfreis, from Late Latin auriphrygium, from Latin aurum "gold" and Phrygius "Phrygian," as the Phrygians were known for their needlework with gold and silver threads. Orphrey bands are often worn on clerical vestments, a tradition that began in the 12th-century Roman Catholic Church. The bands are placed vertically, and may be of rich fabrics, such as gold lace, cloth of gold, velvet or silk, embroidered or decorated with jewels and enamels. The finest examples of orphrey can take hundreds of hours of work and sell for thousands of dollars.

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Article summary

created in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, National Museum in Warsaw An orphrey, also spelt orfrey or orfray, is a form of often highly detailed embroidery, in which typically simple materials are made into complex patterns. Orphreys are broad bands used on priests' albs and knights' robes. In 1182 and 1183 Henry II of England spent lavishly on orphreys. The word comes from Old French orfreis, from Late Latin auriphrygium, from Latin aurum "gold" and Phrygius "Phrygian," as the Phrygians were known for their needlework with gold and silver threads. Orphrey bands are often worn on clerical vestments, a tradition that began in the 12th-century Roman Catholic Church. The bands are placed vertically, and may be of rich fabrics, such as gold lace, cloth of gold, velvet or silk, embroidered or decorated with jewels and enamels. The finest examples of orphrey can take hundreds of hours of work and sell for thousands of dollars.

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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