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Source Description
The English adopted a simpler style of embroidering vestments suitable for mass production around 1500. Isolated motifs, often floral, were embroidered on plain velvet, as in this ecclesiastical chasuble. <br><br>The orphrey, or embroidered band, in the center depicts Saints Peter, John the Evangelist, and Andrew, identified by their names and attributes (top to bottom). Most of the surface is covered with gold thread sewn down by silk thread passing over it in different densities to create the effect of modeling. Silk thread was also used to embroider areas of skin and hair (mostly disintegrated).
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
125238
label
Chasuble with Orphrey Band
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
125238
contentType
object
title
Chasuble with Orphrey Band
description
The English adopted a simpler style of embroidering vestments suitable for mass production around 1500. Isolated motifs, often floral, were embroidered on plain velvet, as in this ecclesiastical chasuble. <br><br>The orphrey, or embroidered band, in the center depicts Saints Peter, John the Evangelist, and Andrew, identified by their names and attributes (top to bottom). Most of the surface is covered with gold thread sewn down by silk thread passing over it in different densities to create the effect of modeling. Silk thread was also used to embroider areas of skin and hair (mostly disintegrated).
date
1500–1520
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79903588
genreSpecific
Embroidery
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 122.5 x 74 cm (48 1/4 x 29 1/8 in.)
cul
England, London (embroidery) and Italy, Florence (velvet), early 16th century
accession
1947.2
Source extras
tec
Silk, gold thread, sequins; appliqué, embroidery: couching stitches Velvet: solid pile, silk; embroidery: or nué (shaded gold)
tombstone
Chasuble with Orphrey Band, 1500–1520. England, London (embroidery) and Italy, Florence (velvet), early 16th century. Silk, gold thread, sequins; appliqué, embroidery: couching stitches Velvet: solid pile, silk; embroidery: or nué (shaded gold); overall: 122.5 x 74 cm (48 1/4 x 29 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Walter C. and Alvin W. Littwitz in memory of their father, Max Littwitz, 1947.2
collection
T - Ecclesiastical
citations
citation
Young, Bonnie. "Opus Anglicanum." <em>The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin</em> 29, no. 7 (1971): 291-98. Accessed December 20, 2020.
page_number
p. 291-298
url
www.jstor.org/stable/3258645
citation
Staniland, Kay.<em> Embroiderers</em>. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991.
citation
Monnas, Lisa. 1994. "Opus Anglicanum and Renaissance Velvet: The Whalley Abbey Vestments". <em>Textile History 25:1</em>.
page_number
p. 3-28
citation
Bergemann, Uta-Christiane. “Serial Production of Embroidered Orphreys in the Late Middle Ages.” in Wetter, Evelin, and Michael Bangert. <em>Iconography of Liturgical Textiles in the Middle Ages</em>. Riggisberg: Abegg-Stiftung, 2010.
page_number
p. 171-182
citation
Heard, Kate. “‘All holie companye of heaven’: Uniformity and Individuality in the Iconography of Late Medieval English Orphreys.” In Wetter, Evelin, and Michael Bangert. <em>Iconography of Liturgical Textiles in the Middle Ages</em>. Riggisberg: Abegg-Stiftung, 2010.
page_number
p. 155-162
citation
Browne, Clare Woodthorpe, Glyn Davies, M. A. Michael, and Michaela Zöschg. <em>English Medieval Embroidery: Opus Anglicanum</em>. 2016.
citation
Michael, M. A. <em>The Age of Opus Anglicanum</em>. 2016.
creditline
Gift of Walter C. and Alvin W. Littwitz in memory of their father, Max Littwitz
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:28:07.110000
sourceId
125238
dept
Textiles
coll
T - Ecclesiastical
med
Silk, gold thread, sequins; appliqué, embroidery: couching stitches Velvet: solid pile, silk; embroidery: or nué (shaded gold)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
e60a49c83162346d