Chasuble
This intriguing object is a composite: at some point in their history, embroidered orphreys- attributed 17th-Century, Spanish- have been cut down and applied to an eighteenth-century silk support- attributed either Chinese made for export, or a British imitation thereof. The raw materials and the execution of the embroideries are rather modest, with twisted threads couched in place, and a very thinly piled red velvet support emulating pricier production. The silk, in contrast, is very fine, though mechanically woven. The embroidered orphreys represent Christian figures of devotion: on the front, a monk saint (perhaps Dominic or Francis) holding the Christ Child, and Christ at the Cross (amputated at the thighs); on the reverse, the Virgin and Child, the same or another monk saint, and Saint Jerome (whose panel has also been roughly cut at thigh level). The later, figurative silk, conversely, is decorated with a secular repeat pattern of clouds, wickerwork, and baskets of flowers. In its current iteration, this garment is a chasuble (the tabard worn by a Catholic priest over his alb gown when conducting church services), although its very long, narrow shape is highly unusual.
Artwork Details
- Title: Chasuble
- Date: 17th Century (embroidery), 18th Century (silk), cut, reassembled and reshaped at a later date
- Culture: Spanish and British or Chinese made for export
- Medium: Silk, metal, linen
- Dimensions: Length at CB: 50 in. (127 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the Rembrandt Club, 1911
- Object Number: 2009.300.2950
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Italian
late 17th century (textile); 18th century (current appearance)
British
1600–1620
Multiple artists/makers
1769–71
Multiple artists/makers
1769–71
British
mid-17th century
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