42 Pearls. 



gold rings, set with precious stones and Pearls, worn 

 on the neck and arms, and in the ears. The women 

 interwove gold thread or strings of Pearls in their 

 hair, and bound fillets round their heads, which were 

 often richly decorated with precious stones and 

 Pearls. The embroidered borders of their robes and 

 their shoes too were richly worked in Pearls. 



The I2th and 13th centuries, the age of chivalry, 

 were particularly luxurious, and the coats of arms 

 worn by the knights were made of gold or silver 

 stuff, velvet or silk, and embroidered in gold, silver, 

 Pearls or precious stones. 



Pearls were used so extravagantly, not only by 

 the nobles, but also among the middle classes, in 

 rich towns, that certain laws were passed to put a 

 limit to their use ; Philippe le Bel of France, (born 

 1268; died 1 3 14 A.D.) forbade the burgher classes 

 to wear ornaments of gold, precious stones, or Pearls. 

 The Council of Zurich, held in 141 1, published an 

 order forbidding women or girls to wear more than 

 one Pearl head-band, which was not to weigh more 

 than 6 oz. Many noble families having been ruined 

 by their excessive expenditure on clothes, a council 

 of knights was called before the 28th great Tour- 

 nament at Wiirzburg, which decided that no gold 

 or Pearl ornaments should be worn, unless hidden 

 from view! Women also were not to have their 



