Orphrey from a Chasuble (?)

Unknown

first half 17th century · Silk; metal; linen · Robert Lehman Collection

This panel of cut and uncut voided velvet and another in the Lehman Collection (1975.1.1769) were probably originally one long piece that was cut in two to make orphreys for the front and back of a chasuble (a liturgical garment worn during the celebration of the Mass). The polychrome design of a meandering garland of large blossoms and curling leaves is bordered by rows of smaller-scale foliage motifs edged with narrow bands of diagonal lines. The panels are finished with two different types of decorative tape. A polychrome velvet with a similar pattern of large flowers and leaves is in the Kunstgewerbemuseum der Stadt Köln.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half 17th century

Medium

Silk; metal; linen

Culture

Italian

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975