Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/280

 4045.

Chasuble; the ground, tawny-coloured velvet; pattern, angels and flowers in coloured flos-silks and gold thread, the orphreys before and behind figured with saints. English, 15th century. 7 feet by 3 feet.

Though the needlework upon this chasuble is effective at a distance, like much of the embroidery of the time, both in this country and abroad, it is found to be very rude and coarse when seen near. The style of the whole ornamentation is so very English that there is no mistaking it. The back orphrey is in the shape of a cross; and on it, and figured at top, Melchisedek with three loaves in his hand; beneath him, the prophet Malachi, on the left of whom we have Abraham with a large broad sacrificial knife in his hand, on the right, King David and his harp; these three form the transom of the cross. Going downward, we see St. John the Evangelist with the chalice; below this apostle, David again; and, last of all, half the person of some saint. On the front orphrey are given St. James the Greater, and two prophets of the Old Law. This chasuble, with its stole and maniple, is said to have been found at Bath, hidden behind the wainscot of a house there. Certain it is that the chasuble has been much cut down. The original size was far larger.

4046, 4046A.

Stole and Maniple; ground, tawny-coloured velvet, embroidered with flowers in gold and coloured silks. English, 15th century. Stole, 8 feet 6 inches by 2-3/4 inches; maniple, 3 feet 3 inches by 2-3/4 inches.

The embroidery is quite of the style of the period, and in character with that usually found upon the commoner class of English vestments, done in flos-silk and gold thread, after a large design. The velvet is Italian, and this tone of colour seems to have been then in favour.