Chasuble thumbnail 1
Chasuble thumbnail 2
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Not on display

This object consists of 3 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Chasuble

1550-1600 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Rich embroidered hangings of the type from which this chasuble was made were probably produced in some quantity in the 16th century. There was then a need for numerous furnishings for the country houses being built at the time. Such hangings were at the top end of the luxury market, however, and far less common than embroidered ones made of less expensive materials, such as linen canvas and wool.

Ownership & Use
It is probable that a donation by a wealthy nobleman or woman of this rich embroidered hanging to a church resulted in its survival, since it was subsequently made into a chasuble (the liturgical garment that a priest wore for Mass). Donations or bequests of this kind were often made either by a genuinely pious donor or patron or by one who sought to influence the church, or gain favour in it.

Makers & Making
The richness of the materials, the workmanship and the combination of black and red, two of the most favoured colours (and expensive ones in terms of dyeing), with gold thread make this a most luxurious embroidery. It would have been produced in a professional workshop, possibly in London.

Design & Designing
The design includes favoured elements from English sources. The Tudor rose is the symbol most immediately associated with the Tudor dynasty. The acorn with oak leaf is also an archetypal English motif.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Chasuble
  • Stole
  • Maniple
Materials and techniques
Embroidered satin, applique silver and applied velvet, metal thread
Brief description
Chasuble, stole and maniple made from a hanging of embroidered satin and applique silver, England, 1550-1600
Physical description
Chasuble, stole and maniple made from a hanging of embroidered red satin decorated with reused applique black silver Tudor roses and foliage. With applied velvet and couched metal thread.
Dimensions
  • Maximum length of the chasuble (measured from the neckline to the lower edge of the back) length: 117.1cm
  • Maximum width of the chasuble (measured at the broadest part) width: 67cm
  • Length: 374cm (Note: Length of the stole)
  • Width: 23cm (Note: Maximum width of the stole's ends)
  • Length: 106cm (Note: Length of the maniple)
  • Width: 24cm (Note: Max. width of the maniple's ends)
The front half of the chasuble is shorter than the back: it is 91 cm long Dimensions of the mount: H 140 x W 65 cm (approximate maximum values)
Gallery label
(27/03/2003)
British Galleries:
This luxury hanging includes a popular design of the period that combines the Tudor rose of England with Renaissance arabesques. Rich embroideries with metal threads were desirable but very costly. They rarely survived in a domestic setting because they were dismantled to salvage the silver or gold. This hanging has survived because it was given to the church and converted into a chasuble (the liturgical garment the priest wore for the Mass).
Object history
Embroidered in England
Summary
Object Type
Rich embroidered hangings of the type from which this chasuble was made were probably produced in some quantity in the 16th century. There was then a need for numerous furnishings for the country houses being built at the time. Such hangings were at the top end of the luxury market, however, and far less common than embroidered ones made of less expensive materials, such as linen canvas and wool.

Ownership & Use
It is probable that a donation by a wealthy nobleman or woman of this rich embroidered hanging to a church resulted in its survival, since it was subsequently made into a chasuble (the liturgical garment that a priest wore for Mass). Donations or bequests of this kind were often made either by a genuinely pious donor or patron or by one who sought to influence the church, or gain favour in it.

Makers & Making
The richness of the materials, the workmanship and the combination of black and red, two of the most favoured colours (and expensive ones in terms of dyeing), with gold thread make this a most luxurious embroidery. It would have been produced in a professional workshop, possibly in London.

Design & Designing
The design includes favoured elements from English sources. The Tudor rose is the symbol most immediately associated with the Tudor dynasty. The acorn with oak leaf is also an archetypal English motif.
Bibliographic reference
British Textile Design in the Victoria & Albert Museum, ed. Donald King, Tokyo 1980, Vol. I, colour plate 18
Collection
Accession number
T.257 to B-1967

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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