Madonna dress
Unknown Artist
early 1820s (?)
Medium
cotton; metal; silk;
Dimensions
41 1/2 x 60 1/2 in. (105.4 x 153.7 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Ecclesiastical
Culture
Russian
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1931
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Robert Lehman at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, *Madonna Dress* is a captivating example of early 19th-century Russian ecclesiastical textiles, dating to the early 1820s. Measuring 41½ x 60½ inches, this imposing garment—crafted from cotton, metal, and silk—likely served a sacred purpose in Orthodox Christian liturgy, evoking the revered figure of the Madonna. Its classification as an ecclesiastical textile underscores its role in religious ceremonies, where such opulent pieces adorned clergy or were used in processions honoring the Virgin Mary. Russian textile traditions duri...