Chalice Veil thumbnail 1

Chalice Veil

1670-1695 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This chalice veil was bought from a lace dealer in 1870, together with matching chasuble, maniple and stole, and the set had probably been mounted onto its red silk in the mid 19th century. It was recommended for acquisition by one of the Museum’s advisors with the comment “I do not think the Department is ever likely to meet with a more eligible example of the splendour with which such vestments were wrought in the richest days of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Lace was among the most highly prized and expensive of all textiles in the 17th century. From the main centres of production in Italy and Flanders it was traded widely across Europe, and the industry responded quickly to changes in fashionable dress, as different styles came in and out of favour. In the 1660s, Venetian needle lace became the most fashionable lace, dominating the upper end of the market for both men’s and women’s dress. The industry also expanded rapidly through the patronage of the Catholic Church. Italian lace-makers exaggerated the three-dimensional qualities of needle lace, and developed the technique of dividing up large patterns into manageable sections, enabling the production of large-scale ecclesiastical items like vestments and church furnishings that were conspicuously extravagant.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Needle lace worked in linen thread, and mounted on silk
Brief description
Raised needle lace chalice veil, 1670-95, Italian, mounted on red silk.
Physical description
Chalice veil of raised needle lace mounted on slightly watered plain woven red silk. Square, with symmetrical scrolling floral pattern around central motif of a chalice with the Host and IHS, and wheat ear and grapes, inside a 16 point star (alternating straight and wavy points). It is similar in technique to the other parts of the set, but not identical, and there is less sign of 19th century intervention. It is likely that the lace was mounted onto the red silk ground shortly before its purchase by the Museum in 1870. The narrow outer edging matches that on the other pieces of the set, and is likely to be 19th century.
Dimensions
  • Length: 61cm
  • Width: 61cm
Object history
Purchased in 1870 for £30 from lace dealer Arthur Blackborne, 35 South Audley Street, London (described as probably 16th century Spanish). Blackborne was the leading London lace dealer at this time.
Historical context
Lace was among the most highly prized and expensive of all textiles in the 17th century. From the main centres of production in Italy and Flanders it was traded widely across Europe, and the industry responded quickly to changes in fashionable dress, as different styles came in and out of favour. In the 1660s, Venetian needle lace became the most fashionable lace, dominating the upper end of the market for both men’s and women’s dress. The industry also expanded rapidly through the patronage of the Catholic Church. Italian lace-makers exaggerated the three-dimensional qualities of needle lace, and developed the technique of dividing up large patterns into manageable sections, enabling the production of large-scale ecclesiastical items like vestments and church furnishings that were conspicuously extravagant.
Summary
This chalice veil was bought from a lace dealer in 1870, together with matching chasuble, maniple and stole, and the set had probably been mounted onto its red silk in the mid 19th century. It was recommended for acquisition by one of the Museum’s advisors with the comment “I do not think the Department is ever likely to meet with a more eligible example of the splendour with which such vestments were wrought in the richest days of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Lace was among the most highly prized and expensive of all textiles in the 17th century. From the main centres of production in Italy and Flanders it was traded widely across Europe, and the industry responded quickly to changes in fashionable dress, as different styles came in and out of favour. In the 1660s, Venetian needle lace became the most fashionable lace, dominating the upper end of the market for both men’s and women’s dress. The industry also expanded rapidly through the patronage of the Catholic Church. Italian lace-makers exaggerated the three-dimensional qualities of needle lace, and developed the technique of dividing up large patterns into manageable sections, enabling the production of large-scale ecclesiastical items like vestments and church furnishings that were conspicuously extravagant.
Associated objects
Bibliographic reference
Christa C. Mayer-Thurman, Raiment for the Lord's Service : A Thousand Years of Western Vestments, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1975, cat.80
Collection
Accession number
746-1870

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Record createdOctober 24, 2008
Record URL
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