Gold Embroidery by Antonio Roldán of Spain

The Spanish artist Antonio Roldán, based in Spain, has preserved the time-honored methods of embroidery with metallic threads. He is a prolific artist, making and repairing a plethora of designs on liturgical items including banners, canopies, veils, flags, and clothing for statues that are used in the annual Holy Week processions in Spain.

These processions are hosted by local Archconfraternities and Confraternities, who have maintained for centuries a very high standard of liturgical design and execution. This includes a lot of gold thread embroidery used to design by hand a variety of cloth items associated with the processions. 

The events are massive and draw thousands from across the region who follow the processions as they make their way through the streets, finally arriving at the mighty cathedrals. The most famous is in Seville -- nowhere else in the world is the tradition of Holy Week processions so magnificent and so clothed in beauty with the highest level of artistic taste.  

Below are examples of several of his works, magnificent creations with exuberantly worked floral and scroll work designs, edged with gilt braid. The designs include volute patterns amid the flow of the golden rinceau motif with its familiar continuous wavy leafy stems and flowers. More images can be seen on his Facebook page here.   








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