Altar Frontal
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
silk; metal; cotton
Dimensions
70.5 x 29.5 cm (27 3/4 x 11 5/8 in)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
French (?)
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2413
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Altar Frontal* the 19th century housed in the Robert Lehman Collection The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the artistry of an unknown French (or possibly French-influenced) embroiderer. Crafted from luxurious silk, metal threads, and cotton, it a compact 70.5 x 29.5 cm, ideal for adorning the front of a small altar or portable shrine. Embroidered textiles like this were prized in ecclesiastical settings, blending fine craftsmanship with spiritual devotion during a century marked by renewed interest in Gothic Revival and religious ornamentation. The work's floral motifs, hinted at ...