THE FLEUR-DE-LYS 155 



The miniature was, of course, painted before the 

 lilies had appeared on the royal banner of France, 

 and the decoration at Hecatompyli would be 

 drawn from Eastern sources. 



The most noble use of the fleur-de-lys is to 

 express the majesty of God. Floriated crowns 

 as a symbol of Divine majesty were common in 

 French, Flemish and German art, but are 

 seldom seen in Italy. Most usually it is God the 

 Father only who is so distinguished. In a 

 French miniature of the end of the fourteenth 

 century,' where the three persons are repre- 

 sented under human form, God the Father 

 wears the floriated crown, the other persons the 

 cruciform halo. In a stained glass window, with 

 the figure of God the Father holding the Cruci- 

 fix,^ He wears a tiara of five tiers, each decorated 

 with the fleur-de-lys. 



Memhng and his school, painting for the 

 Court of Burgundy, held to the French tradi- 

 tions, and God the Father in the ' Coronation ' 

 on the shrine of St Ursula, God the Son in the 

 ' Christ surrounded by Angels ' in Antwerp, 



^ Roman des Trois Pdlerinages, Bib. S. Genevieve. 

 * St Martin in Vignes, Troyes. 



