Textile Fabrics: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuffs, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the MuseumRock, Daniel
History
Textile Fabrics: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuffs, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the Museum
Rock, Daniel
Art objects -- England -- London -- Catalogs; Textile fabrics
In Greece may be still found several churches built with a dome, all
around which is figured, in painting or in mosaics, what is there known
as and called the “Divine Liturgy,” after this manner. On the eastern
side, and before an altar, but facing the west, stands our Lord, robed
as a patriarch, about to offer up the mass. The rest of the round in
the cupola is filled with a crowd of angels,--some arrayed in chasubles
like priests, some as deacons, but each bearing in his hands either one
of the several vestments or some liturgical vessel or appliance needed
at the celebration of the sacred mysteries,--all walking, as it were,
to the spot where stands the divine pontiff. But amid this angel-throng
may be seen six of these winged ministers who are carrying between them
a sindon exactly figured as is the one of which we are now speaking.
How, according to the Greek ritual, this subject ought to be done, is
given in the Painter’s Guide, edited by Didron.[386] Though of yore as
now a somewhat similar ceremonial was always observed according to the
Latin rite, in carrying his vestments to a bishop when he pontificated,
never in such a procession here, in the west, was any frontal or sindon
borne, as in the east.
With regard to “red” as the mourning colour, in the sindon, our own
old English use joined it with “black” upon vestments especially
intended to be worn in services for the dead. For especial use on Good
Friday Bishop Grandison gave to his cathedral (Exeter) a black silk
chasuble, the red orphrey at the back of which had embroidered on it
our Lord hanging upon a green cross: “j casula de nigro serico, pro Die
Paraschive, cum j orfrey quasi rubii coloris, cum crucifixo pendente
in viridi cruce, ex dono Johannis Grandissono;”[387] and in the same
document, among the black copes and chasubles, we find that they had
their orphreys made of red: “cape nigre cum casulis--j casula de nigro
velvete cum rubeo velvete in le orfrey. ij tuniculi ejusdem panni et
secte. iij cape ejusdem panni et secte.”[388]
[385] P. 58.
[386] Manuel d’Iconographie Chretienne, pp. xxxvi. 229.
[387] Oliver, p. 344.
[388] Ib. p. 349.
At Lincoln cathedral there were “a chesable of black cloth of gold of
bawdkin with a red orphrey, &c.; a black cope of cloth of silver with
an orphrey of red velvet broidered with flowers, &c.; a black cope of
camlet broidered with flowers of woodbine with an orphrey of red cloth
of gold,” &c.; two copes of black satin with orphreys of red damask,
broidered with flowers of gold, having, in the back, souls rising to
their doom, &c., besides other vestments of the same kind.[389] Green,
sometimes along with red, sometimes taking the latter’s place in the
orphreys, may be seen on some of our old vestments.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account