Chasuble with Orphrey Band
Chasuble: Late 15th century; Orphrey Band: Late 15th/early 16th century
Medium
Chasuble: Silk, plain weave with silk facing wefts and twill interlacings of secondary binding warps, and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk facing wefts forming weft loops on cut and uncut, pile-on-pile voided velvet; Orphrey Band: Linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk, linen and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk in fishbone, herringbone, satin, split, and stem stitches; laid work, couching, and padded couching; edged with woven fringe
Dimensions
131.8 × 73.4 cm (51 7/8 × 28 7/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
62598
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This chasuble's motif, the pomegranate, was the predominate textile motif, along with related forms such as pomegranate thistles and pineapples, during the 15th century. Church specification dictated that all chasubles had to be made of silk, the most expensive and most precious of all materials. Quite frequently gold and silver threads were used to embellish the back of the chasuble as seen in this example. The Orphrey band, which was added at a later time, depict the Madonna and child, St. Pet...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...