About this artwork
Velvets fabrics often formed the foundation for the most sumptuous liturgical textiles used by European clergy. The altar frontal, a cloth that covers the front of the altar table, was once decorated with embroidery and it was likely part of a coordinating set of liturgical objects that include priests’ apparel and accessories. Variations of this popular velvet pattern were woven in both Italy and Spain and produced for many decades. A kaftan made of this design was part of the vast wardrobe of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603–17).
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Title
- Altar Frontal
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Places
- Italy (Object Probably made in), Western Europe (Object made in:), Europe (Object made in:), Spain (Object Probably made in)
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Date
- Made 1480-1550
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Medium
- Silk, warp-float faced 3:1 'Z' twill weave with supplementary discontinuous facing brocading wefts forming areas of weft loops (known as bouclé) tied by secondary binding warps in weft-float faced 3:1 twill interlacing and supplementary pile warps forming cut, pile on pile, voided velvet
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Dimensions
- 100.8 × 203.4 cm (39 3/4 × 80 1/8 in.) Repeat: 84.4 × 56.5 cm (33 1/4 × 22 1/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
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Reference Number
- 1944.403
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/110794/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
