Snails are peaceful, non-aggressive animals that for a 20 year period between 1290 and 1310 were often depicted floating above a belligerent knight in full regalia. Less frequently the knight had put down his sword and knelt in front of the snail. Even more rarely, a nearly naked humble man was praying to the snail. Even bishops were shown having conversations with snails as if with an equal. There were at the time several sectarian movements that repudiated the concept of war, or "just war," and longed to return to a more peaceful Christian philosophy, for instance the Cathars and the Waldesians. These people were considered heretics by the Catholic church, and were burned alive and massacred. No one knows why monks illustrated the books they copied with knights fighting snails. Was it silent support for these peace-loving sects? We will never know, as the monks never revealed the meaning of it.
bychantal_pare
375 designs
Featured In
chantal_pare’s design collection
Also available as
Placemats you might like
Product Details
Placemats
Design #3566028- Set of 2 placemats
- W 19" x H 13" (W 48 cm x H 33 cm)
- Available in 3 fabric options
- 1" (3 cm) folded hem
- Mitered corners
- White double topstitching
- A set of 2 cloth placemats is perfect for special occasions, events, and daily use. Each placemat features a folded hem, mitered corners, and double topstitch detail in white thread. All placemat sets are designed by independent artists, from around the world, and printed and sewn in the USA.
- Placemats are available in three fabric options. Linen Cotton Canvas serves as a natural everyday placemat that will get softer with use, Longleaf Sateen Grand offers a more luxe, formal option, and Cypress Cotton Canvas is a durable option great for any setting.
Durability of linen with the softness of cotton
- Estimated shrinkage: 3-6% in length and 0-1% in width.
Shipping & Returns
Spoonflower products are made-to-order, meaning we don’t have a warehouse of ready-to-ship items. This enables us to offer a huge library of designs by independent designers, available on over 50 different products. And we back every purchase up with our Happiness Guarantee. Visit our help page for information on returns and exchanges.
About the Design
Actual enluminures from the middle ages made into a repeating design.
About chantal_pare
I am a stained glass artist and graphic designer. I love light, color, and unique themes. Contact me chantal@chantalpare.ca if you want a resize. Designs best viewed in FABRIC COLLECTIONS (see below) for matching coordinates. WALLPAPER: I work at
Shop chantal_pareAbout Spoonflower
Custom Fabric & Home DecorSpoonflower supports independent designers as the world’s largest Marketplace for these eco-friendly, printed-on-demand products.
Learn moreHappiness Guarantee
Your order is custom printed just for you, and we want you to love it.If you think that your order has a flaw or it is not what you expected, we want to make it right.
Learn more