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Dalmatic

16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dalmatic of black velvet in the Spanish style with bands and appareles embroidered in silver gilt and silver thread and coloured silks. The large oblong apparels at the bottom of the front and bakc, as well as the narrower apparels on the sleeves have a central medallion containing a skull and cross-bones within a frame of scroll-work outline; the surrounding space has a symmetrical arrangement of plants, and foliated scrolls linked together. There is a narrow border round the neck, and two pendent bands down both front and back, all filled with curved stems and flowers. The latter have leafy terminations. Some details are raised by padding. The velvet is much worn, frayed and repaired. Trimmed with copper-gilt braid of later date.

Lined with brown and black linen.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk velvet with silver embroidery
Brief description
black velvet, with embroidered apparels, with skull and floral metal motifs, for use at Requiem masses; 1500s; Spanish
Physical description
Dalmatic of black velvet in the Spanish style with bands and appareles embroidered in silver gilt and silver thread and coloured silks. The large oblong apparels at the bottom of the front and bakc, as well as the narrower apparels on the sleeves have a central medallion containing a skull and cross-bones within a frame of scroll-work outline; the surrounding space has a symmetrical arrangement of plants, and foliated scrolls linked together. There is a narrow border round the neck, and two pendent bands down both front and back, all filled with curved stems and flowers. The latter have leafy terminations. Some details are raised by padding. The velvet is much worn, frayed and repaired. Trimmed with copper-gilt braid of later date.

Lined with brown and black linen.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 3.9kg
Style
Production typeUnique
Object history
According to María Roca Cabrera, the dalmatic was once part of the art collection of Mariano Fortuny Marsal (1838-1874). It was acquired by Henry Wallis in 1875 and subsquently arrived in the Museum from the Henry Wallis Collection along with a batch of ecclesiastical vestments variously attributed to Italy or Spain. (RP 1919/4317)
Production
Original attribution in accession register, reiterated in article of 1938.

Attribution note: In that made to commission with recognisable imagery
Bibliographic reference
Dr. A. Von Withlin. 'Die Entwicklung der Siedenweberei in Spanien'. CIBA Review, 1938, p. 1073 María Roca Cabrera, 'Tejidos españoles en el South Kensington Museum a través del círculo Fortuny', Libro de Actas del IColoquio de Investigadores en Textil y Moda, 17 y 18 de noviembre de 2017, Barcelona 2017, pp. 206-210, p. 207.
Collection
Accession number
T.766-1919

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Record createdJune 16, 2006
Record URL
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