Pair of Gloves
1500-1599 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the 16th century, liturgical gloves were worn by bishops, certain abbots and other prelates, when wearing a mitre, but removed for the consecration of bread and wine during the Christian mass. The red relates to the liturgical colours associated with the church calendar. These gloves were hand knitted from red silk and yellow silk wrapped with silver strip in stocking stitch. On the back of each is the Christian monogram, IHS, which is reversed on the left hand. The gloves are knitted in the round, with the second thread woven into the back of the stitches so that the inside is neatly finished. The thumb was knitted separately, also in the round, and there is a diamond shaped gusset between the thumb and index finger.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Silk, hand knitted and knotted, wrapped with silver in stocking stitch |
| Brief description | Pair of gloves for a bishop, red and yellow silk lined with silk taffeta, emboidered with IHS monogram, probably made in Spain, 1500s |
| Physical description | A pair of gloves hand knitted in red silk yarn and yellow silk yarn, partially wrapped in silver strip, lined with yellow silk taffeta. They are worked in stocking stitch with a border of stylised floral motifs and the monogram IHS in a wreath on the centre back of each hand. The motif is reversed on 876A-1897 (left hand). The wrists are finished with an elaborate tassel worked in red silk and yellow silk wrapped in silver. |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'IHS' (letters and initials reversed on 876:A-1897 - left hand.) |
| Historical context | Liturgical gloves were worn by bishops, certain abbots and other prelates, when wearing a mitre, but removed for the consecration of bread and wine during the mass. The red relates to the liturgical colours associated with the church calendar. |
| Summary | In the 16th century, liturgical gloves were worn by bishops, certain abbots and other prelates, when wearing a mitre, but removed for the consecration of bread and wine during the Christian mass. The red relates to the liturgical colours associated with the church calendar. These gloves were hand knitted from red silk and yellow silk wrapped with silver strip in stocking stitch. On the back of each is the Christian monogram, IHS, which is reversed on the left hand. The gloves are knitted in the round, with the second thread woven into the back of the stitches so that the inside is neatly finished. The thumb was knitted separately, also in the round, and there is a diamond shaped gusset between the thumb and index finger. |
| Bibliographic reference | Richard Rutt, A History of Hand Knitting, London: Batsford, 1987, p.57, fig.55 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 876&A-1897 |
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| Record created | November 29, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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