Vestment

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Not on display

Artist/Maker	Unknown
Place of origin	Ethiopia (made)

Sleeveless, hooded white satin robe. It is is decorated with an applied piece of crimson satin embroidered in gold and silver thread and pearls. There are embroidered inscriptions in Arabic on the hood, and Coptic on the red satin.

Object details

Categories	Ecclesiastical Textiles Embroidery Africa
Object type	Vestment
Title	Vestment
Materials and techniques	Silk satin and linen embroidered in gold thread Silk (Textile) Linen (Material) Gold Thread Pearls Embroidering
Brief description	Robe of the Abuna (Metropolitan) of Ethiopia, white and red silk satin with embroidery in gold thread, Ethiopia, about 1748
Physical description	Sleeveless, hooded white satin robe. It is is decorated with an applied piece of crimson satin embroidered in gold and silver thread and pearls. There are embroidered inscriptions in Arabic on the hood, and Coptic on the red satin.
Marks and inscriptions	in Arabic script (at proper left, on hood. Translation made by colleagues from Institute of Ethiopian Studies, January 2009.) Translation O God your priests ... justice and your good people are always joyful in Arabic script. (at proper right, on hood. Translation made by colleagues from Institute of Ethiopian Studies, January 2009.) Translation When you pray, may God hear you. May invoking the name of the God of Justice give you victory. Amen, Halelujah. in Arabic script. (at lower edge, on hood. Translation made by colleagues from Institute of Ethiopian Studies, January 2009.) Translation Emmanuel, in the name of the Father, by the Patriarch Father Markos, May God give him long life. This year 1464.
Object history	Purchased for £10, from R. D. Kempe. Said to have been taken at the siege of Maqdala (Magdala). The embroidery may have been carried out by Egyptian craftsmen.
Production	Dated 1464 according to Coptic calendar; the Coptic year 1464 ran from 30 September 1747 until 28 September 1748.
Association	Siege of Maqdala
Collection	Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number	1424-1870

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Record created	December 9, 2003
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O86941/vestment-vestment-unknown/

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