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Chasuble Front with Orphrey Cross

A work made of chasuble: silk and metal-wrapped thread, brocaded silk velvet with two heights of silk pile, and metal-wrapped threat boucle.
orphrey cross: silk and metal-wrapped thread, embroidered in flat and padded couching stitches and split stitches on linen plain weave foundation..
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of chasuble: silk and metal-wrapped thread, brocaded silk velvet with two heights of silk pile, and metal-wrapped threat boucle.
orphrey cross: silk and metal-wrapped thread, embroidered in flat and padded couching stitches and split stitches on linen plain weave foundation..

Date:

Chasuble: 15th century; Orphrey Cross: 1401/50

Artist:

Chasuble: Italy, Florence
Orphrey Cross: Bohemia or Germany

About this artwork

Although this chasuble (a priest’s outer garment) is incomplete, its richly embroidered cross, known as an orphrey, remains intact. It features five saints, with Saint George and the slain dragon at center, and was probably used in Bohemia or Germany, where the embroidery was done. The combination of sumptuous velvet and embroidery is typical of 15th-century religious attire. These luxurious velvets were exported from the Italian peninsula to other European countries, as well as to the Ottoman Empire.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Title

Chasuble Front with Orphrey Cross

Place

Florence (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1401–1500

Medium

Chasuble: silk and metal-wrapped thread, brocaded silk velvet with two heights of silk pile, and metal-wrapped threat boucle. Orphrey Cross: silk and metal-wrapped thread, embroidered in flat and padded couching stitches and split stitches on linen plain weave foundation.

Dimensions

Chasuble: 126.6 × 70.5 cm (49 7/8 × 27 3/4 in.); Orphrey Cross: 112 × 57.7 cm (44 × 22 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Grace R. Smith Textile Endowment

Reference Number

1980.615

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/60819/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.

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