The Fifteenth Century Mariazell Chasuble

The Mariazell chasuble is so named because it is found within the treasury of the Basilica of Mariazell located in Austria, properly called the Basilica Mariä Geburt (Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary), an important shrine church by virtue of its possession of a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary.  It features a beautiful red/gold textile with a highlight embossed orphrey.

In the nineteenth century the term "stumpwork" was coined for this type of embroidery, a style which seems to have been especially popular within the fifteenth century (there called "broderie en relief.") For those who are curious about these things, the process involved  raising the embroideries (typically human figures, animals, plants and sometimes architectural motifs) by way of underpadding them with an underlying material. These embroideries were first worked onto a separate piece of fabric called a "ground" which was then trimmed and finally stitched into place on the main fabric. 

This particular chasuble is dated to around the year 1470. The beautiful red and gold fabric is late fifteenth century in design and origin, the popular "pomegranate pattern" of the Renaissance period. This, and the style of embroidery itself, is how the chasuble has been dated to this timeframe. 

This beautiful and precious textile includes pomegranate motifs, pigna (pine cones), oak leaves, acorns and acanthus leaves and deserves a closer look in its own right:

The front of the chasuble is absent of any orphrey but the orphrey on the back more than makes up for it, coming in the form a Latin cross, featuring images of the Virgin and Child along with the images of four early Christian martyrs: St. Barbara, St. Dorothea of Caesaria, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Ursula, each of whom have been set into gothic architectural motifs which function as canopies placed over them. 

St. Catherine and St. Ursula (depicted holding attributes of their respective martyrdom) with the Virgin and Child between.

St. Barbara (depicted showing the tower in which she was held captive)

St. Dorothea of Caesarea (Depicted carrying a bowl of fruit. As the legend goes, she was persecuted during the persecution of Diocletian and while on her way to the place of execution she was mocked and told to bring some fruits from her bridegroom's garden. So, before she was executed, she sent him, by way of a young boy, her headdress which was found to be filled with a heavenly fragrance of roses and fruits.))

The inclusion of these four Christian martyrs obviously picks up on the theme of red as a liturgical colour, typically reserved for Pentecost and feasts of martyrs.  The fact that four female martyrs were chosen is of particular interest -- and generally this likely means that another vestment, with another orphrey, might have gone with this piece as a set, which may have include male martyrs -- but this is purely speculation. 

What isn't speculation, in my estimation is the beauty and nobility of this extremely fine work of liturgical art.

-------

Do you like Liturgical Arts Journal's original content? You can help support LAJ in its mission and vision to promote beauty in Catholic worship either by: 

Making a one-time donation or

Subscribing monthly/yearly 

You choose the amount! Your support makes all the difference.