Chasuble

Unknown

17th century · Silk, linen, metal thread · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Glinting with shiny (and cheap) lamella metal thread, this red, yellow and white woven silk is thick- almost to the illusion of having a pile- thanks to several warps and wefts. What the textile lacks in terms of dexterity of execution, it gains in unusualness of design and technique. It was apparently repurposed, cut and stitched together, some one hundred and fifty-odd years after it was woven to create the current garment- a tabard-like chasuble worn by a Catholic priest over his clothes in the church. In outline, particularly its exaggerated tear-drop shaped front panel, this chasuble is typical of the nineteenth century.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th century

Medium

Silk, linen, metal thread

Culture

Italian

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1941