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Vestment

1776-1782 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This set of vestments, comprising a chasuble, stole, maniple, chalice veil and a burse, was made for the cardinal whose arms are seen on the chasuble’s back orphrey. Although not woven or embroidered with silver and silver-gilt threads, it was nevertheless well-suited for a ‘Prince of the Church’; it is tailored from a fine ivory taffeta and the entire ornament is most minutely and delicately worked with pen and Indian ink. As the minuscule inscription in the bottom of the front orphrey reveals, it was done by Saverio Caselli: a priest, architect and cartographer in the service of the Papal States. Working mostly in Rome and Benevento, Caselli held numerous prestigious roles and served as an honorary chamberlain to Pope Pius VII. As a renowned archaeologist and antiquarian he authored many detailed drawings of ancient Roman monuments, such as the Roman theatre and the Arch of Trajan in Benevento. It took him six years to finish the intricate and laborious task of ornamenting this extraordinary set of vestments. Caselli’s remarkable talent and interest in antiquities are reflected in the outstanding decorations which were drawn on the silk with an utmost precision, leaving a misleading first impression that they were achieved by printing.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 5 parts.

  • Chasuble
  • Stole
  • Maniple
  • Chalice Veil
  • Burse
Materials and techniques
ornamented with pen and Indian ink on ivory silk taffeta
Brief description
Set of vestments, 1776-1782, Italian
Physical description
This set of vestments, comprising a chasuble, stole, maniple, chalice veil and a burse, was made for the cardinal whose arms are seen on the chasuble’s back orphrey. Although not woven or embroidered with silver and silver-gilt threads, it was nevertheless well-suited for a ‘Prince of the Church’; it is tailored from a fine ivory taffeta and the entire ornament is most minutely and delicately worked with pen and Indian ink. As the minuscule inscription in the bottom of the front orphrey reveals, it was done by Saverio Caselli: a priest, architect and cartographer in the service of the Papal States. Working mostly in Rome and Benevento, Caselli held numerous prestigious roles and served as an honorary chamberlain to Pope Pius VII. As a renowned archaeologist and antiquarian he authored many detailed drawings of ancient Roman monuments, such as the Roman theatre and the Arch of Trajan in Benevento. It took him six years to finish the intricate and laborious task of ornamenting this extraordinary set of vestments. Caselli’s remarkable talent and interest in antiquities are reflected in the outstanding decorations which were drawn on the silk with an utmost precision, leaving a misleading first impression that they were achieved by printing.
Dimensions
  • Length: 109cm (Note: Chasuble's length)
  • Width: 66cm (Note: Chasuble's maximum width)
Marks and inscriptions
In the bottom of the front orphrey of the chasuble, the minuscule inscription reads; M.o (Maestro) Saverio Casselli Archit.o (architetto) 1776 per tutto 1782 Author's initals in one of the corners of the chalice veil (The inscription consists of the author's name, profession and the time needed (six years) for him to finish the entire set of vestments)
Production
From original accession record; ornamented by 'Maestro Saverio Casselli, architetto'
Subject depicted
Bibliographic references
  • Dr Boch's Revise, 1883
  • A photo of the back of the chasuble published in: Pauline Johnstone, High Fashion in the Church. The Place of Church Vestments in the History of Art from the Ninth to the Nineteenth Century, Leeds, 2002, p. 104. Captioned as 'Fine and elaborate detail copper-plate printed in black on white silk. Signed Maestro Savario Casselli Architetto, dated 1776-82. Probably made in Bologna'.
  • Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion, edited by Lesley Ellis Miller and Ana Cabrera Lafuente with Claire Allen-Johnstone, Thames and Hudson Ltd. in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom, 2021, pp. 288-289
  • Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Accession number
268-1880

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest