Chasuble
Late 13th/14th century
Medium
Silk, plain weave with twill interlacings of secondary binding warps and gilt-animal-substrate-wrapped silk supplementary facing wefts; supplementary pile warps forming cut voided velvet; edged with gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk, bobbin-made tape; lined with silk, plain weave
Dimensions
107.5 × 70.6 cm (42 1/4 × 27 7/8 in.); Repeat: 3.2 × 3.2 cm (1 1/4 × 1 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
65024
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This chasuble, a Western church vestment worn by bishops and priests during Mass, is made from red velvet patterned with staggered rows of gold disks and is a prime example of cultural exchange between the Middle East and the West. It is one of about 30 surviving pieces with this pattern, most of which are fragments. Papal and Italian church inventories establish that such fabrics were woven in the late 13th and 14th centuries. Long associated with Spain or Italy, this fabric has more recently b...
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...