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
This chasuble must have been truly grand and majestic when new, and
seen in all its sumptuous fulness, for it has been sadly cut away
about the shoulders. It must, originally, have measured, on that part,
at least some inches beyond four feet. The Y cross orphrey on the back
is figured with the crucifixion, done after a large and effective
manner, for the person of our Redeemer measures more than 1 foot 9
inches in length, and His, as well as all the other faces are thrown
up in low relief. At the ends of the transom of the cross are four
winged angels--two at each side, of whom one is catching, in a golden
chalice, the sacred blood spirting from the wounds in the hands, the
other flying down in sorrow from the clouds. High above the cross are
two angels with peacock-feather wings, swinging two golden thuribles,
which are in low relief; and between these angelic spirits, a golden
eagle in high relief, with wings displayed, armed and beaked _gules_
and holding in his once crimson talons a scroll which, from the
letters observable, may have been inscribed with the motto, “(Respice)
in fi(nem).” The front of the chasuble is made of a piece of velvet
of another and much broader design--a large flower of five petals and
two stipulæ--but equally remarkable for its deep mellow ruby tone and
soft deep pile. Its orphrey of fine diapered gold-thread embroidery,
but much worn away through being long rubbed by its wearers against
the altar, is worked with the Blessed Virgin Mary carrying in her arms
our Saviour, as a naked child, caressing His mother’s face; and, lower
down, with a female figure crowned and nimbed, bearing in her right
hand a golden chalice, at the top of which is a large eucharistic
particle marked with a cross-crosslet; this is the emblem of the
Church. Both figures are large and of a telling effect; and, like the
other figures, have more of a naturalistic than ideal type of beauty
about them.
1376.
Chasuble; ground, raised crimson velvet with concentric circles in
cloth of gold, within garlands of which the leaves are green, the
flowers gold. The orphreys are woven in coloured silks on cloth of
gold, with inscriptions. The velvet, Florentine, late 15th century; the
orphrey web, German, late 15th century. 3 feet 10¾ inches by 2 feet
10¼ inches.
[Illustration: 1376.
PART OF THE ORPHREY OF A CHASUBLE. German 15th century.
Vincent Brooks Day & Son, Lith.]
[Illustration: 1376.
PART OF THE ORPHREY OF A CHASUBLE. German 15th century.
Vincent Brooks Day & Son, Lith.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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