Chasuble Back
Unknown Artist
mid-15th century
Medium
Silk
Dimensions
51 1/4 x 43 1/2 in. (130.2 x 110.5 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
Italian
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1766
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Chasuble Back*, crafted by an unknown Italian artist in the mid-15th, is a masterful example of Renaissance ecclesiastical textiles. Measuring an impressive 51¼ x 43½ inches, it formed the rear panel of a chasuble—the ornate outer vestment worn by priests during Catholic Mass. Woven from luxurious silk, this piece reflects Italy's prominence in textile production during the early Renaissance, when silk weaving flourished through trade with the East and advanced local looms. The artwork's woven silk medium highlights sophisticated techniques like lampas or brocaded patterns, co...