GILET GRENADE, in silk damask decorated with pomegranates an - Lot 263

GILET GRENADE, in silk damask decorated with pomegranates and ruby crosses on a navy background, navy back and lining. Size XXL. History of the "Grenade" vest Emblem of the goddess of rain under the Sassanid dynasty (226-651 CE), the burst pomegranate has been a symbol of fertility and fecundity ever since. Initially, the pomegranate had as much to do with the Lotus flower and the pine cone as with the pomegranate itself. Over the centuries, it became an allegory for the spiritual nourishment of the Catholic Church. Like the Church itself, this fruit contains a multitude of good seeds within its shell. That's why, from the end of the 13th century to the beginning of the 16th, there were hardly any bishops or princes who didn't wear the so-called pomegranate velvet, a symbol of power, wealth and belonging to the celestial world. The Grenade vest is cut individually from a damask of great intensity. Created in the 18th century under Louis XV, it sensitively reflects the fruit and its pulp, steeped in symbolism and history. The harmonious blend of a large motif and a worked background is characteristic of the textile creations of Louis XV's reign.